Marauders: the next generation
by Zceepy
Summary: Nineteen years after Harry and his friends left Hogwarts and it's finally their children's turn. But with a split in the Weasley family and a shadow passing over Hogwarts, things aren't going to be as easy as they thought. Plus there's the eternal problem
1. Chapter 1

Meanwhile, over in the Staff room…

"No, No, No!"

Professor Trelawney woke up with a start. Professor Dumbledore stared at her.

"Sybil? Are you alright?"

"I just had a terrible Vision!" said Trelawney.

Professor Flitwick looked interested, Professor Littlebottom looked panicky and Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes.

"Trouble is coming!" cried Trelawney "Terrible Trouble."

McGonagall suddenly looked worried.

"I think she's finally got it right," she exclaimed, "Fred Weasley's son is coming this term."

The staff shuddered.

"How many?" asked Madam Hooch.

"Only one."

Fourteen people breathed again.

"One we can manage," said Professor Snape "At least it's not four or something.

A hooded man, a dark stranger, a cold fire lit room, a windy countryside

"Master, Master, it is just as you said it would be"

"Good, Good. Then she is at Hogwarts. This year, she is at Hogwarts"

**Chapter 1: On my way**

Someone once said that time is a friend who joins us on the Journey. I don't believe that. I think Time is the Journey, the road we take. It's our real friends that join us along the way. Sometimes we're glad and sometimes we want to push them in the ditch. The happiest I've ever been along this journey was when my best friends joined me, and we walked along together. All that time ago.

I was eleven. I had just left primary school and was thinking the same thing as every other boy or girl in year six, that I was the ruler of the world.

It was 2017. Hermione Weasley was the Minister for Magic and Michael Davis was the Prime Minister of England. The Prides had just won the Quidditch league cup, leaving the Chudley Canons in fourth place, the best they've done for 68 years. England was preparing for the World Cup and a whole new batch of eleven year olds were eagerly awaiting their acceptance letters for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, myself included of course.

I was in the living room at the time. We live in a fairly biggish house, not a mansion but it does have six bedrooms, four more than we need. I have the entire attic convert to myself, but I'm partial to sunlight, so I was in the living room.

I was watching some Muggle programme on TV about a talking pig that solved crimes. Our TV does have a Thomas chip in it but it was the early years of Wizarding programs broadcasting on Muggle televisions. It mainly consisted of programs for two year olds, soaps and cooking shows. My favourite programme was the cartoon by Dean Thomas himself, 'Star in the Sky', but that wasn't on so I was stuck with the Muggle pig.

My Mum came in and immediately tutted. She's never got used to these strange programs, coming from an ancient Wizarding family. My dad brought all the Muggleness into our life. His mum is a Muggle so he was basically raised as one. My mum's family, the Lazaros, are proud to say they don't have a hint of Muggle in them, thank you very much. They're that kind of family, Slytherins. My mum turned them all around though, when she became a Gryffindor.

"Lione," she said.

That's my name by the way, Lione Davies. Everyone calls me Lee and I don't really care how they spell it. I gave up trying to hammer Li into people's memory. I knew what was coming. She only ever calls me Lione when she asks me if I'd done something

"Have you practised your guitar?" she asked.

Yes, I had practised my guitar and I still wasn't very good at it. My parents suffer the delusion, shared by most adults, that if I play 'Home, home on the range' enough times I'll suddenly be able to play it flawlessly.

"Yes Mum," I said.

"Have you walked the dog?"

We had a puppy, Benny. He was so sweet then.

"Yes Mum."

"Good," said my mum, smiling. "Then you can have your post"

"You hid my letters!" I cried.

You have to understand I was on the verge of Teenagerhood so I was becoming more and more sensitive about my privacy. This breach was enough to cause war in the household. But it was completely forgotten when Mum handed me a letter in a pale yellow envelope with our address in green ink on one side and a crest showing an eagle, a badger, a snake, a lion and a large H on the other. A letter from Hogwarts. MY letter from Hogwarts. I stared at it for a while, savouring the moment. Then I grabbed the thing and ripped it open

_Dear Miss Davies,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and Equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

We didn't go to Diagon Alley straight away like some people do, instead we went a few days later. Nothing spectacular happened there but I did get to go in Weasley Wizard Wheezes for the first time. I was never allowed in before because Mum said she didn't want the house filled with wet-start fireworks and dung bombs, and Dad never liked the idea of magical practical jokes. Now I know that's very parentish but my dad isn't like that all the time. We've dropped our fair share of water bombs out the window on to mum on hot days. He just says that if you're going to play a joke on someone you might as well do it the Muggle way. If everyone used magic to do it then we'd all we be resigned to a life of checking our food for colour changing spells. I think he's still bitter about the time when he was at school, trying to impress a girl and he suddenly turned into a canary.

Mum bought me a package of practical jokes with the warning 'Don't tell your father'.

Finally Friday the first came along and we were on our way to Kings Cross station. Dad was taking me because Mum was busy. There was going to be a match at her Quidditch that day so she had to get up there to prepare. That's what my Mum does, she owns Lazaro Quidditch grounds. She inherited it from her Granddad when he died. It's not very famous but it is the place where Ireland won a match against Switzerland allowing them to qualify for the 1994 world cup, which they won. OK so that's not much of a claim to fame but it is one.

Anyhow, I gave Mum her hug goodbye back home and Dad took me. Platform 9 ¾ was amazing, so much bustle. I know it's really strange but I love busy places. Being able to lose yourself in a crowd. I'm about medium height and I've got short black hair so it's quite easy. I hate being in a tight place with one or two other people. There's the uncomfortableness of new people then someone always remarks about my really pale green eyes. 'Almost see through' they say. I was quite fond of them till it became a conversation point. But crowds are my favourite. Doing your own thing, weaving through the people. I'm quite a good weaver. Listening to other people's conversations. Right then I was hearing a million of them.

A sandy student being told to watch himself by his dark haired mother. Two teenage boys trying to chat up four teenage giggling girls all at the same time. My attention was drawn, however, to a small group standing near the barrier. A Mother, and a Father and eleven-year-old daughter, both with dark black hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Now you be careful," the Father was saying.

"Oh don't be such a bore, Harry," said the Mother, "Have fun darling. That's the most important thing."

"What about homework?" joked the girl.

"If you have time." said the Father.

"Harry!" cried the Mother, "She'll never do it now. You be good, Laura Potter. But not too good. Live a little."

"But don't get in trouble," warned the Father.

The mother scoffed.

"You're one to talk," she said, "She'll be perfectly safe. I checked the charms myself this summer. Or don't you think I do my job well enough, Harry Potter."

My mouth dropped open. This was Harry Potter! The best seeker the English Quidditch team had ever had! They won the Quidditch world cup the same year as he first joined. He was signed up to international teams before local ones. Then again, he was no Morag MacDougal.

I gave my dad a hug goodbye, who told me, "Hope you're in Ravenclaw."

I smiled and get on the train.

"Oh!" called my Dad, as an after thought. "Or Gryffindor I suppose"

I laughed, gave one final wave and shut the door. The train was leaving the station.

I went into the nearest compartment. I didn't want to have to choose between a large group of people who knew each other or a lonely person who might make comments about the colour of my eyes. There was only one person in it, the dark haired girl from the station.

"Hi," I said, "Anyone sitting there?"

"No," said the girl, smiling up at me. "Sit down."

I sat. The girl held her hand out to me.

"I'm Laura Potter," she said "And I don't have my father's scar."

"Lione Davies," I said "And my eyes are really this colour, they're not contacts."

We laughed and spent the next half hour chatting about parents and avoiding the subjects of Quidditch, eyes and scars. We were just having an active conversation about our future lessons when an Asian girl with her hair in two loose plaits poked her head round the door.

"Laura!" she cried, "This is where you're hiding. Me, Sammy and the rest are up front. You coming?"

"Sure," said Laura, "Wait! Jane, this is Lione Davies. Lee, Jane Jordan"

We said hi to each other, then Laura invited me up front with them. They dashed out the door and I was about to follow them when a tall red headed boy came into our compartment, blocking my way. He started to knock on all the walls.

"You're Gregory Weasley," I said "Fred's son, from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes."

He smiled at me and went back to bashing in the walls. I wasn't to be put out though.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Can't tell you," he said.

Then as quickly as he came, he was gone. I was slightly shocked but more annoyed that I had to find Jane's compartment all by myself. I went out the door but couldn't go any further because I was once again stopped by Gregory Weasley. He was staring at a small girl with mousy brown hair and the deepest brown eyes I have ever seen. They were making me hungry for Chocolate. There seemed to be a very tense scene going on here. The girl simply looked shocked but Gregory looked positively raging. He was the first to break the silence by basically growling.

"Malfoy."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Please note this was written _before_ Half Blood Prince came out. Actually it was written before Order of the Phoenix came out but that's not really important. Some editing has been done to encompass information from the sixth book but some of the biggest plot points have been conveniently ignored because they conflict with my storyline. However I absolutely stand by who I've paired Ginny with. Thank you for reading this mindless babble, now on to the next chapter.

**That Darn Hat.**

The girl stuck her chin out defiantly.

"Weasley."

"How dare you show your face here," spat Gregory.

I was becoming less and less fond of him every minute. There was this poor girl who didn't seem to have done anything wrong and he was just treating her like a criminal. Other people were poking their heads out of their compartments. There was going to be a crowd soon.

The girl smiled. It wasn't a mean smile, quite a pleasant one actually. As if she was remembering something funny she'd heard long ago.

"Sorry," she said, shrugging "I would have taken a flying car but I hear the last people who did that got in trouble."

"How dare you insult my family like that." snapped Gregory.

The girl recoiled in shock. She looked frightened. I was just about to go out there, stop Gregory and possibly punch him on the nose when someone else did it for me. Not the punching bit, unfortunately. A towering fifth year with blond hair tugged on Gregory's arm and spun him around. OK, towering is the wrong word. He was tall and was radiating anger but he was actually quite cute. More than quite.

"Are you insulting my sister?" demanded the boy.

Gregory was quivering under his stare.

"Woah," I said, unable to stop myself. "Super brother."

The girl turned and grinned at me. I signalled for her to come into my compartment. We shut the door, leaving the interrogation outside.

"What was that about?" I asked once we'd sat down.

"Wizarding Family?" she asked.

I wasn't an assumption or a snobby question. It was as if she was collecting information for a story. I nodded.

"Well do you know about the Weasley/Malfoy argument?"

"I know of it." I replied.

I did, but all I knew was that the ancient families of Weasley and Malfoy hated each other for some reason. My family never got involved but they did side with the Malfoys.

"Well it goes back centuries," she told me, "No-one remembers how it started but it intensified in the last century. Well not exactly the last century, maybe half a century, or not even that much."

"What happened?" I asked. Mainly to indicate I wasn't really interested in exact figures

"Oh" she said, "Right. A marriage happened. Real Romeo and Juliet scenario. My Mother, a Weasley, fell in love with my father, a Malfoy. The families were outraged. Well not my Dad's, his parents were in Azkaban. But my Mum's were furious. They wrote her out of the family estate and some of them barely choose to acknowledge mine and my brother's existence. I'm Lucy Malfoy by the way. Just realised we hadn't got to that yet."

I laughed. I was going to get to introductions next, but she beat me to it. She certainly enjoyed talking a lot.

"I'm Lione Davies," I told her, "Call me Lee."

"And you can't call me Lu or Lu Lu," said Lucy, "Any toilet jokes will be highly punished."

I laughed. "What about big Bro out there?"

The scene outside had ended by then but I could still see Lucy's brother's shadow against the opposite wall. I guessed he was standing guard just in case Gregory came back.

"Oh," said Lucy, "That's just Colubra."

"Colubra?"

"My Mum's little joke." Lucy told me, "It's Latin, means snake. My Dad also has a Latin name but it means Dragon. She called him the first Latin animal she could think of. I got a nice normal name, aside from the nickname problems."

So I spent the rest of the Journey chatting with Lucy. We became friends. I had completely forgotten about Laura and Jane up front. I only remembered when we got off the train and I saw Jane giving me dirty looks. I walked over to Laura.

"What's up with her?" I asked

"Oh she's just a bit cheesed off because you-"

She stopped there because while walking and talking we hadn't been looking where we were going. We had appeared to have walked into a wall covered with a moleskin coat. We took one step backwards and looked up. There was this giant man looking down at us. I couldn't tell his expression because his face was almost completely covered with a furry black beard. The whole effect was quite frightening. I needn't have been scared because the next moment Laura cried out,

"Hagrid! You're back!"

"Hello Laura," said Hagrid, "Good ter see yer here! Heard it was yer turn to come."

"How were the Alps?" asked Laura, "Did you have a good time with your brother?"

I tugged on Laura's sleeve and pulled her away.

"Laura!" I hissed in her ear, "Am I right in assuming that this guy is a giant?"

"Half actually." said Laura, "He's very nice."

I stared after her as she went off to talk to Hagrid some more, thinking, very plainly, 'She's mad'.

"Hey," Lucy had appeared at my side, "What's happening?"

"Lucy," I said, "Did you know there's a half giant here?"

"Yeah," said Lucy, "Hagrid. He was here when my parents were kids."

"Why do they allow it?"

"Hey!"

Lucy hit me in the arm. Not a friendly tap but a really hard punch.

"Stop being so prejudiced. He's really nice. Not a great teacher, but a nice person."

Hagrid was herding all the first years into boats. Lucy and I got in one with Laura and Jane, who then went on to get out and get in another boat.

"What's up with them?" Lucy asked.

I shrugged. Laura hadn't finished the sentence she was saying earlier so I really had no idea.

Two boys got into the boat with us. We could see Hogwarts ahead of us. It was huge! A giant fairytale castle. It even made Hagrid seem smaller.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid called back, "Right then - FORWARD!"

The last word must have been a command for the boats as they started to move off towards the cliff upon which the castle was situated. It was so quiet. You could hear people breathing, and since night was drawing in and it was getting steadily colder, you could see it too. There was barely a sound as our little boats went through the water. It was as if the huge black lake was made of glass. It was really disconcerting. No one spoke until suddenly Hagrid yelled out,

"Heads down!"

It was so shocking in the ultimate silence that I actually jumped. Lucy giggled next to me. It would have bothered me if it wasn't so reassuring, proof that I wasn't all alone out there.

As we approached the cliff we bent our heads down and we went through a curtain of ivy, hiding the opening to a tunnel in the cliff. Several people started breathing again. I guessed they must have been expecting us to hit solid rock. I almost laughed aloud; Hogwarts weren't likely to kill off a fresh bunch of new first years, were they?

After what seemed like an eternity of sailing down a long dark tunnel (but couldn't have been that long really) we arrived at a sort of underground harbour. We got out of the boats and followed Hagrid up a nearby flight of steps to the top where there was a giant oak door. Hagrid raised his oversized fist and knocked on it.

A stern faced woman with grey hair tied back in a bun opened the door.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, "I will take them from here."

We followed her into a gigantic entrance hall. It was really, really big, and that's an understatement. Saying this hall was huge was like saying it occasionally rained in England. I felt very tiny just looking at the chandeliers. But then again, I was only small then.

Professor McGonagall led us into a small chamber.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."

There was something about the tone she said this in that gave me the impression that she had been using this exact speech every year for the last fifty years. But she felt it was efficient and didn't see the point of coming up with a new one.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

I knew most of that already; my parents didn't send me to Hogwarts completely un-prepared you know. Plus I had skimmed through 'Hogwarts, a History'. Did you know that in 1765 Gryffindor house got minus seventy-three points? And in 1842 Hufflepuff house had two-hundred-and-Seventy points taken away from them on the night before the final end of term feast because they refused to tell the headmaster who flooded the dungeons. They were in the lead before that, but ended up with only twelve points. But anyway…

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you're waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

And with that, she left.

The chatter that had been non-existent since we got into the boats resumed immediately. It was like someone dropping a whole bunch of pans onto a rock floor on the top of a hill in the countryside at midnight in the middle of winter. Everyone was talking about which house they'd be in, which house their family was in and what the Sorting Ceremony could be like. Some were talking about wrestling with trolls, others about a spelling test (?). My parents had never told me what the ceremony was like. They said I'd find it much more fun if I found it out on my own.

"Which house do you think you'll be in?" I asked Lucy.

"Well on my Mum's side they're all Gryffindor," she replied, "As much as my mum can remember that is. I don't really have the opportunity to learn about anything beyond that do I? On my Dad's side they're all Slytherin. Colubra is a Slytherin. I suppose I'd go for a happy medium but I don't know If I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw so, Hufflepuff?"

I grinned. I was beginning to expect these long answers from Lucy.

"My Dad was a Ravenclaw," I told her, "So was his Dad. My Mum was a Gryffindor but all her family was Slytherin for generations. Maybe I'd be the first Hufflepuff in the family."

Lucy paused. She seemed un-naturally quiet all of a sudden.

"What?" I asked

"My Dad had a saying," She told me, "Silly really. Mum used to frown at him when he said it but it was always a sort of family joke"

"What?" I asked again.

I know I'd only known her a few hours but I had got the jist of her personality. She liked to talk, about anything. I was just verging on a new corridor.

"I think he got it from his father," she continued.

"What is it?"

"Ten years after they all leave Hogwarts what'll happen?" quoted Lucy "The Hufflepuffs will be doing hard labour jobs for almost no pay, the Ravenclaws will be teaching rowdy classes for next to nothing, the Slytherin's will rule the world and the Gryffindors will be dead after some act of heroism." Lucy stuck her chin out defiantly, "But that won't really happen." I realised this was Lucy talking now, "A hero will save us? I'm not going to stand here waiting when I can save myself." She smiled up at me, "Hufflepuffs will inherit the earth. You know that?"

Turns out the Corridor lead straight into Lucy's heart, where a Lion was waiting. I was rather impressed by this turn of events, and a little scared.

"I've heard something similar." I said.

It was that moment Professor McGonagall chose to come back.

"Now form a line," She commanded, "And follow me."

We shuffled into single file. I found myself behind none other than Gregory Weasley. I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned his head, I smiled pleasantly, and he glared at me. I stuck my tongue out at him. I heard Lucy giggle behind me. Grinning to myself I watched as Professor McGonagall opened the doors.

The main hall was amazing. If you thought the entrance hall was something to talk about you had not seen this place. There were four long tables filled with students, all of them bigger than me. They were staring straight at us as if we were animals in a zoo. I stared ahead, past Gregory's head. At the front of the hall was another table filled with adults, the staff table. They were staring too. Some of them were scanning the line looking disappointed. One of them waved. I saw a boy further up the line wave back. The teacher looked extremely proud. I heard a boy with blond hair near the front of the line whisper.

"I heard it's enchanted to look like the sky above"

It took me a moment to realise what he was talking about. Then it hit me, or it could have been one of the floating candles lighting the room. I remembered what the boy was talking about. The ceiling. I looked up at the stars and the shining moon. Call me a werewolf if you like but I've never liked the moon, it's too bright. Which is strange because the sun's never bothered me.

We reached the front the hall and Professor McGonagall put a small four-legged stool in front of us. On top of it she placed a large, raggedy old black hat. As everyone stared at it a large rip near the brim opened up. There was complete silence before the hat began to sing:

_There aren't many wizards on this shore,_

_Upon whom I have not sat._

_I'm the greatest headgear they ever wore,_

_I'm the magical Sorting hat._

_Someone special has to know,_

_In which house you ought to be._

_An important task, and then so,_

_The only choice was me._

_I could put you in Gryffindor,_

_If you are brave at heart._

_Or then again there's Ravenclaw,_

_If you seem very smart._

_Both houses are respectable,_

_But if you love to win._

_If your slyness is impeccable,_

_I'll deem you Slytherin._

_But if you fancy Hufflepuff,_

_Prepare to be worked hard._

_Now see, the Sortings not so tough,_

_But beware, be on your guard._

_It doesn't matter what you've said,_

_There's nothing you can hide._

_So why not pop me on your head?_

_And I shall be your guide._

Everyone in the hall, aside from us first years of course, clapped and cheered. I can't speak for the rest but I was dwelling over what the hat had just said.

_There's nothing you can hide._

I didn't have some terrible secret hidden up in my brain but there's just something about knowing someone can read your mind that makes you worry. I couldn't imagine what state the people actually hiding things were in.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she announced, "Ackerly, Neil!"

A small boy with floppy brown hair moved forward and sat on the stool. I could see the panic in his eyes before Professor McGonagall put the hat on his head, completely covering them. And most of the rest of his face as it happened. He was that tiny. It was on there about half a minute (almost a lifetime when your surname begins with D) before the rip opened and called out.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Most of the hall clapped politely but the table beneath the yellow flag depicting the Hufflepuff badger went crazy. Some were bashing their goblets on the table, some stood up and cheered. There were yells, whoops and even a woo whistle, but only one. Professor McGonagall took the hat off of Neil's head and he walked over to sit at the Hufflepuff table. No sooner had he sat there then people were shaking his hand, patting him on the back and generally being friendly. Being slightly worried, correction, terrified at that point I couldn't help but imagine the reception I'd get. Let me give you a hint, No-one woo whistled.

"Aidum, Sophie!"

There was a shorter pause this time before:

"RAVENCLAW!"

The same celebration happened, except this time over at the Ravenclaw table and with more whistles.

"Bower, Joseph!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

As the hall clapped, I noticed Joseph had sat down next to a shimmery white man with a huge Elizabethan ruff round his neck. The ghost congratulated Joseph by slapping him on, or rather through, the back. There were ghosts at Hogwarts. This was another surprise my parents had left for me to discover.

"Byway, Gatrine!"

Gatrine's a girl by the way. She hates her name and no one has called her it to this day.

The Sorting hat took longer this time but not as long as with Neil.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Once the hat was taken off her Gatrine shrugged. She actually shrugged, then went over to sit at the Slytherin table. There was less applause this time and I couldn't help but notice why. The Gryffindors weren't clapping, and neither were a couple of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. I knew people were wary of Slytherins, and that they tended to be proud and against Muggle-borns, but I never knew they were disliked this much. So it's only clapping, but it's the first impression a new student gets of a school.

"Corrie, Anya!"

I felt a lump in my throat, C already? That meant I was soon, only one or possibly two people to go before my turn.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Davies, Lione!"

No such luck, there is no one in the alphabet between Anya and I. Lucy gave me a little push and I moved forward. Sitting on the stool I saw every pair of eyes in the hall staring at me, examining me. The hat dropped on to my head and over my eyes but I could still feel their stares. I was just wandering what a dope I looked like, sitting there with a great big hat over my head when I heard a small voice in my ear.

"Ah! Quite a mind you have here."

Completely panicking, I thought.

_Thank you._

The Sorting hat chuckled.

"Well well, polite as well. Though that is fear speaking, you're not really like that, are you? Fear of what I wonder? What are you hiding? We'll see, shan't we?"

I began to grip the sides of the stool.

"Very smart," said the hat "So perhaps Ravenclaw?"

I expected to hear those words echo around me, but it had only said them in my mind. I was convinced it was teasing me.

"But then there's this cunning, this slyness, you know how to use your smarts don't you. You have big dreams. That would make you a worthy candidate for- Hold on, what's this? This is very interesting."

_What?_ I thought.

I was beginning to think I'd never get this wretched hat off my head.

"I just found something _very_ interesting."

I was beginning to get mental images of a floating black hat with arms sifting through a filing cabinet. The mental cap found a file and waved it in the air. I wondered if the hat was always this chatty, or if my terror triggered, momentary batch of politeness had set it off. I wanted it to be over, soon. I was beginning to think of it as a him.

"Well this solves it," said the hat "You belong in…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Later that evening**

"Well that solves it," said the hat. "You belong in… GRYFFINDOR!"

I finally breathed easy as the blinding hat was taken off my head. The sudden burst of light after so long in the dark blurred my vision; and my ears, which had also been covered, couldn't cope with the noise. I never knew who was cheering or if there were any woo whistles. Kind of disappointing after so much anticipation.

In a daze I walked over to the Gryffindor Table. Anya and Joseph had just enough time to say 'Hiya' before Professor McGonagall called forward.

"Dewley, Adam."

I glanced over at the line of first years still to be sorted. They all had different variations of terror on their faces. I saw Lucy turn her head and look my way. I gave her a thumb's up; she smiled at me, thankfully.

"What happens now?"

I turned around. Anya had whispered the question.

"What?" I hissed back. "Don't you know?"

"No," Anya indicated the two of them, "We're both Muggle born."

"The Professor said something about a feast." Joseph put in.

"But what if they've already had it?" whispered Anya.

I looked at Joseph. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Calm down," I assured her. "I'm sure they're going to feed us"

I turned back to the stage where 'Holly, Denise' was being sorted. I was quite content guessing which house she would be in by her chin downwards until I heard Joseph mutter something under his breath.

"Silly girl."

"Definitely," I mumbled back. I turned and grinned at Joseph, who grinned back.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Jordan, Jane!"

I spun around to look at the stage. There was Jane underneath the huge hat. I waited in anticipation.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The hall cheered. Jane looked shocked but went over to the table. I caught her eye and she glared at me.

"Longbottom, Samuel!"

It took only five seconds for the hat to declare.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I clapped along with the rest of the hall. I noticed Lucy go completely white. It took me a few moments to realise why.

"Malfoy, Lucy!"

Lucy moved forward and sat on the stool.

"No fair," said a girl on my table. "They're only halfway through the alphabet and already the Slytherins have four girls."

But the Slytherins only had three girls. Then I realised.

"Hey!" I protested, "How do you know she'll be a Slytherin?"

The girl looked at me as if I was stupid.

"'Cos she's a Malfoy" she said "That's why. All the Malfoys are Slytherins. Nasty pieces of work"

I opened my mouth to protest again but I was interrupted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a stunned silence round the hall. I don't know whether I did what I did next out of real joy or just to spite the girl. But what I did was to jump out and shout out.

"Whooooooooo! Yeah! Go Lucy! Whooooooooo!"

I gestured behind my back to Joseph and Anya and they joined me in the cheer. Some people from the other tables joined in with polite clapping and a few Gryffindors started up a small celebration. But there was silence from the Slytherin table.

As Lucy sat down next to me I caught a glimpse of the remaining first years. Laura looked amused but Gregory was fuming.

"Good to see you here," I told Lucy. "Not a Hufflepuff after all."

Lucy grinned at me. I looked back at the stage where there were only a few people left.

There's not that many on the other side of the alphabet. Moon, Nane, Oliver, Orla, Pearson, Pepper, Potter. The hat sat on Laura's head for almost a full minute before it declared aloud.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Michael Riper became a Slytherin, Francis Tomlinson became a Hufflepuff, Adrasteia Vini became a Ravenclaw and at last there was only one boy left.

"Weasley, Gregory!"

To be honest I thought he'd be a Slytherin. Everyone had expected Lucy to go into Slytherin so much and there she was, sitting next to me on the Gryffindor table. Everyone said that Slytherins were nasty pieces if work. Well, Lucy had been nice and here she was. But Gregory had been horrible for her for no reason so I thought Slytherin would welcome him with open arms. But...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I wasn't exactly shocked. Lucy had said that most of her mother's side of the family had been in Gryffindor, so why not Gregory? I just couldn't help but wander what sparks would fly back at the Weasley home if they found out a Malfoy was sharing their traditional house.

At the staff table an old man with long white hair and an even longer white beard stood up. I knew him instantly to be Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin, first class and all that. Everyone in the Wizarding world knows about Dumbledore.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" he announced, "Before our start-of-term feast begins-"

I heard a quiet "Yay!" behind me.

"-I would like to say 'Bon appetite'. But I won't, because I just have. Thank you."

I laughed at the ridiculousness of it. I had a feeling that Dumbledore was quite contentedly mad. I don't see anything wrong with that.

The feast was brilliant! Six kinds of potatoes, chicken, Yorkshire puddings, sausages, pork chops, bacon, peas, carrots, stuffing, gravy, (the good kind without any lumps or a skin on top) and even a bowl full of boiled sweets. Once it was all gone deserts appeared and oh, such deserts! Gateau, cheesecake, three kinds of pudding, five kinds of pie, Jelly, ice-cream, spotted dick, treacle tart, trifle, fruit salad. It makes me drool to even try to remember them all; let's just say there were many, many delicious things.

At this point Samuel Longbottom decided to come out with,

"So Robert, what's your family like?"

Robert Oliver suddenly looked panicked.

"Why d'you want to know that?" he asked.

"It's the traditional first-year start-of-term feast conversation." Samuel told us, "My Dad had it and so did every other group of first-years while he was here. All except the ones during his fourth year, then they talked about the Triwizard tournament. I'll start shall I?"

Next to me Lucy gulped. Family was obviously not a topic she enjoyed discussing.

"Go on then, Sammy" said Laura.

"Well that's my Dad up there," said Samuel, pointing to the staff table. "Professor Longbottom. Teaches Herbology. But my Mum's a Muggle. She teaches at an all girl's boarding school. How about you Robert?"

"The other way round." said Robert, "My Dad's a Muggle Chef. My Mum's a Witch. He didn't know of course, he just thought she was a really good cook."

There was a glimmer of polite laughter.

"Joseph?" Robert prompted.

"Both my parents are Muggles," said Joseph, "So I don't have any little tales to tell. My Dad's an Astronomer. That's the real stuff, not horoscopes. Lione?"

"Oh mine are boring," I told them. "A Witch and a Wizard. My dad works for the Ministry in the department of Magical law enforcement. My Mum is the owner of Lazaro Quidditch grounds, which I know you've never heard of. Well we all know about Laura so Lu-"

"I don't." Anya piped in.

We all stared at her.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't," repeated Anya, "know, about Laura."

We stared at her for a while, then turned to stare at Laura instead.

"A Witch and a Wizard," said Laura, perfectly calmly. "My Dad's a Quidditch player, that's a Wizarding sport. My Mum works part time for the ministry, mainly so she gets in on all the latest news before it's in the papers. She's a DJ the rest of the time. That's when she tells everyone. She's won awards for her fast news reporting."

"How can you talk so lightly about your father?" cried Gregory. "Her father is Harry Potter. The greatest Seeker in the entire world. Plus he defeated You-know-who on no less than seven occasions."

"You-know-who?"

"He's being a Wimp," I told her. "Barely anyone calls him that anymore. His name is… Voldemort!"

Several people along the table jumped. Gregory glared at me (again).

"He's an evil dark lord. Dead now." I continued, "Ever seen Star Wars? With Darth Vader?"

Anya nodded.

"Like that. But he's more like the other one. The even eviler dark guy. What-his-face."

Anya shrugged. I looked around at everyone else, they all looked puzzled. Finally I looked over to Laura. She smiled and said,

"Anya. What's your family like?"

"No idea" said Anya "My parents died when I was young. I live in a, Muggle was it? Yeah, a Muggle orphanage. But there's a witch who works there with the 'Special' children." She waggled her fingers around the word 'special', "I never knew who they were until a month ago. Now I am one. Lucy?"

"We know about Lucy's family." spat Gregory.

Anya opened her mouth.

"Oh well you might not," interrupted Gregory. "Her family were at You-kno- _Voldemort's _right hand. What she's doing in Gryffindor I don't understand."

Lucy blushed bright red. I also went red, with rage. I was fuming. I reached across the table, grabbed Gregory's robe and pulled his face towards mine. We were nose to nose when I started shouting.

"What you're doing in Gryffindor is what I don't get! Here's Lucy, hasn't done a thing to you and you're acting like a... a... Slytherin! Fine! Have your own personal vendettas. Join Jane Jordan over there, she seems to hate me too. But don't go blabbing a lot of hurtful nonsense about my friend to other people!"

I threw him back down to his seat. There were people watching now. I could particularly pick out Colubra's face in the crowd. He was grinning. Gregory composed himself quickly and opened his mouth again. This time Lucy caught him.

"If you're going to say something horrible, do it," she commanded. "But it better be about this disgusting rice pudding or I'm going to shove your face in it. I'm not going to be violent; I'm not like that. I don't want to hurt you Gregory, you are my cousin, no matter how much you deny it. But if I can't make you eat your words I'll make you eat that pudding. That should be punishment enough."

I joined in the round of applause along with the cries of 'You go girl!'. The Gryffindors seemed to find the thought of having Lucy Malfoy among their ranks more appealing.

The rest of dessert passed without any more real commotion. Once we'd all had our fill the contents of the plates vanished, leaving them sparkling. Professor Dumbledore stood up again.

"Now that your hunger had subsided, perhaps you'll allow me to make a few start-of-term notices."

His eyes seemed to twinkle our way and I was sure he was going to make some comment about our argument.

"For the first years, you should know the forest is strictly forbidden. As is Hogsmeade to everyone, aside from those third years and above that have parental permission. Quidditch trials will take place next weekend going into the second week of term if necessary. This is only for second years and above. If you wish to play for your house team, please contact Madam Hooch."

A small, short-lived murmur rippled through the crowd. I guessed it was people getting excited about the Quidditch trials. Across the table I noticed Gregory had a wide, snide grin on his face. I couldn't help but guess what inspired it.

"Now is the time when I would usually introduce any new members of staff," Dumbledore continued, "But there's no need for it this year. Instead I'd like to welcome back a former, now returned member, Professor Hagrid."

There was a round of applause, mainly from our table and mainly from right next to us.

Laura was cheering louder than she had during the Sorting.

"Professor Hagrid," said Dumbledore, silencing the cheers with a raise of his hand, "Will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures so those lessons will now take place down by the gamekeeper's hut which belongs to Hagrid. Now it's getting late so off to bed you trot."

We were led to the common room by a bossy girl who claimed to be a prefect. As we walked she babbled on about school rules and how the prefects had to be obeyed, no matter which house they're from. I wasn't really listening. I was looking around at the paintings and tapestries. The whispered to each other and waved to us as we passed. I wasn't shocked. We have a painting of a guy in a plane at home. He's quite nice. His name is Eric. But I'd never seen so many paintings together, in one place. It was like an art gallery, but bigger.

Eventually we reached a painting of an enormous woman. She smiled and waved over the prefect's shoulder at us.

"Password?" she asked.

"Dracula," said the prefect.

I had almost been expecting that; there had been a lot of things in the newspaper about vampires recently.

The painting swung forward and we followed the prefect through the hole. She stood up at the other end and said,

"That was the fat lady and this is the Gryffindor common room."

It was a circular room with a heavily red colour scheme. There were assorted chairs of all sizes scattered everywhere but mostly around the fireplace. It looked quite cosy actually. There were also two staircases. The boys were shown up one and us girls were shown up another. Once we found the door marked 'First years' we entered. It was a box shaped room containing four beds, two on each side. It was a pastel red with a luxurious red carpet and on the far wall was a tall mirror. I could see Lucy's reflection in it. She looked shocked, amazed, a little flustered - probably after that incident with Gregory - but mostly, happy. Our trunks, bags ­and various animals were already next to each one of the huge four-poster beds. You know, the kind with the curtain round them which gets pushed aside just as lighting strikes so you can see the person who's just about to murder you. That is, if we were in a horror movie.

I scrambled on to my bed and pulled the curtains to before changing in to my nightie. I was pretty tired but I was also a girl, and, for the first time, in a place where my parents could not physically check on me in any way. I was legally obliged to bounce up and down on my bed, chatter and giggle. When I pulled the curtains away Lucy - now wearing a pair of black and green squared pyjamas - had beaten me to the bouncing part.

"This is so brilliant! I mean, how brilliant is this? I don't think I'll ever get to sleep tonight."

Anya groaned and fell backwards on to her bed. Laura and I grinned.

"And I thought I was excited," groaned Anya.

"Well why not? Well think about it. No parents," I said, dreamily. "No guitar practice."

"No early school day nights," added Laura.

"No little kids running around, getting under your feet," Anya put in.

"No siblings," said Lucy. "At least, not if I don't want to see him."

"This is gonna be good," I said "Seven years of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry-"

"-Then on to complete freedom!" finished Laura.

We sighed contentedly. At least Laura, Anya and I sighed. Lucy made a sound half way between an excited squeak and a giggle.

"I am far too excited to get to sleep tonight," she squiggled. "I mean, look at everything we've got to look forward to! We have got to get talking about it. For example, I hear we have to take options in second year for our third year. Which ones are you thinking of taking? What about fifth year for our sixth?"

"Maybe if you sleep," suggested Anya hopefully, with only a tiny hint of menace. "It'll come sooner."

"If you don't sleep tonight," I warned Lucy, grinning to myself. "You won't have enough energy to decorate the room tomorrow. We are lucky enough have our first day as a Saturday."

"Gosh! You're right!"

And with that Lucy slid backwards and shut the curtains. I laughed and did the same.

"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

"Night."

"Night!"

I wish I'd got more sleep that night. It would have prepared me for the stress that is life at a magical boarding school. I was woken up by a scrambling noise. I kept my eyes shut. I didn't want to wake any of the girls up or let anyone else know I was awake. It's a reflex I learnt while camping with my Father. Keep your eyes shut, you'll learn more. Okay, usually I learnt that some cub scouts were secretly stealing our food supplies but at least I learnt something.

It was then I felt something light brush against my cheek. It felt very weird… Very slowly, I opened my eyes and saw another eye looking in to mine.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Okay just to make things clear (apologies for not doing so already) Lione's parents are Roger Davies and another girl I just made up (although you can spot her in book 5). Gregory's are Fred and Angelina Weasley. Joseph is Muggle-born so you don't know his parents. And Lucy's are Draco and Ginny (of course). Hermione is married to Ron. Professor Delacour has retained her maiden name for teaching purposes. Were she not a professor she would be a Ms (Most of my teachers did this and it's a nifty way of getting round the difficulty since this was written before book 6)

**The Mouse, the Potions Master and the Toilet (well, two out of three ain't bad)**

I jumped up and prepared to grab something to hit whoever was there. I don't know what I would have grabbed; I just would have grabbed _something_.

I stared down at the sheets. A small brown mouse, frozen with terror stared back up at me. I made a grab for it. Surprisingly enough it didn't try to run away. I guessed that it was a pet mouse that belonged to one of the girls. I looked around the room until my gaze fell upon a small cage on Anya's bedside table. I put the small rodent in it and got back in the bed. But I couldn't sleep.

There was something attracting me, something pulling me. Something in my trunk, that my father had given me the week before. I had the biggest urge to get it out and use it. I tried to resist it.

_Not yet_, I told myself, _Not quite yet._

But the pull was too strong. I, slowly, got out of my bed, opened my trunk and pulled out a small, thin packet.

When I woke up the next day there was movement around me. I pushed back the curtains and looked around. Anya was kneeling by her bed, connecting bits of wire caging together. The mouse from the night before was running free on her bed. Lucy had already stuck a poster of a sleeping kitten and baring the motto 'Wake me up in time for the weekend' next to her bed. Laura was nowhere to be seen. I guessed she must have been downstairs having breakfast.

"Nice mouse," I said to Anya.

"Oh," said Anya, looking up. "That's just Cat."

"Didn't look very much like a cat when it woke me up this morning."

Anya blushed "Sorry," she said, "She's just part of the uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Yeah," said Anya, "Everyone knows little orphan girls either befriend mice or take in an abandoned dog from the street. Just like everyone knows they stay up all night dreaming of what their parents are like and aren't bitter at all, even if they're abandoned. You should hear my rendition of 'Tomorrow'."

I grinned, so did Anya (thankfully).

"Does the uniform include mice called 'Cat'?" I asked.

"Not specifically Cat," said Anya, "Her real name is Catatonia because we thought it would be funny to give such a small animal such a long and fancy name. Us being so sad and all. Amazingly Catatonia was not picked for its nickname possibilities."

I quickly got dressed and was just tying the laces on my trainers when the first screams began. I went to run out of the room, then as an afterthought, dashed back to grab the empty packet underneath my pillow.

When I reached the common room my shoes were falling off but I didn't care; the scene that greeted me was worth losing my hair for. About seven girls of varying ages were running about, rubbing their faces and making sounds ranging from an all out scream to a 'I can't believe this is happening' squeak. Their faces were completely black as if they'd covered themselves with wet soot. Kind Gryffindors were leading the girls away to bathrooms or to bedrooms. The rest of the house were bent over laughing.

Desperately trying to keep a straight face, I watched the chaos from the safety of a corner. I knelt on the ground with the pretence of tying my shoelaces. Not exactly a pretence because that was what I was doing, but you get my point.

When I stepped out the portrait hole and wandered down to breakfast I saw several Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins still laughing. The black face epidemic had expanded beyond the Gryffindor house.

I paused outside the great hall to gather myself then walked in.

Over at the Gryffindor table Lucy was spreading pink smophisberry jam on two slices of toast.

Silently, I sat down next to her and reached for the Coco-pops.

Joseph appeared in front of us, chuckling.

"Did you see their faces?" he asked, sitting down.

"Yeah," said Lucy, "What did they do? Paint their faces black?"

This was just too much for me. I snorted through my Coco-pops, a very bad thing to do.

Lucy and Joseph stared at me as I got a tissue out of my pocket to mop up the chocolaty milk. I looked up at their faces and let out an unsuccessfully suppressed laugh. I reached in to my other pocket and tossed the empty packet on to the table. Just one item of the large collection given to me by my Father, without the knowledge of my Mother.

"Black face soap," acknowledged Joseph, nodding with approval. "Very nice."

"Let me guess," said Lucy, "Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Not that I'm allowed in there..."

I gave her a serious look.

"No," I said, "That's a Muggle trick."

"The key feature behind the black face soap trick," explained Joseph, "Is that when they see their face is all black they immediately try to wash it off with the soap. Thereby making it worse. Quite an idea eh?"

"Really?" said Lucy, "Wow. Those Muggles do come up with some good ideas don't they."

"They do," I agreed, "And I've got a doozy of a collection. Listen in."

I indicated for Lucy and Joseph to lean in, and we began to plan.

Monday couldn't have come any sooner. It was strange but I couldn't wait for lessons to start. Mainly I just wanted to find out what they were like. The first lesson was Herbology. Professor Longbottom spent most of the lesson glowing with pride over Samuel, who, of course, was easily the best in the class. At ten o'clock we had to go back inside and downstairs to the dungeons for Potions.

When we entered Professor Snape was checking his watch. He looked slightly disappointed. I think he was hoping we would be late. As he read out the register his eyes drifted over each of us, summing us up. I didn't get a very pleasant glance but the looks he gave Lucy and Samuel could have killed. When he reached Laura's name his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, but just a second before finishing with Gregory.

"Right," he almost hissed. "My name is Professor Snape and I shall be teaching you Potions. I taught most of your parents so I don't really expect much of you."

"My Father says he was his favourite teacher." Lucy whispered to me

"What was that Miss Malfoy?"

Lucy went bright red. I looked up. Snape was glaring in our direction.

"Lucy was just telling me how much she's heard about you." I told him.

"Did I ask you Miss Davies?" It was almost a growl now.

"No sir" I said, eyes watering from trying to out stare him. It was like trying to out stare a radiator. "But she wasn't going to answer sir because you're so overbearing and frightening. Which is why I'm going to be quiet now and listen attentively. Perhaps making a few notes

along the way."

There was a shocked silence. Something inside me was begging me to pick up my quill, hold it over my piece of parchment and look at him expectantly. But I knew when not to push my luck. I looked straight down instead and didn't pick up my quill until he started speaking again.

I must admit I expected points to be taken from Gryffindor. They weren't, at least at my comment. Instead he whirled around and pointed at Laura.

"Potter," he said, "What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"There is no difference sir," said Laura promptly. "Except the names. They are the same plant, the main ingredient in a wolfsbane potion which keeps werewolves at bay and also go by the name aconite."

We all stared at Laura, then turned our attention to Professor Snape. He was so angry he looked like he was going to blow his top, literally.

"I expect your father warned you of that?" he growled.

"Yes sir," replied Laura, "My Mother warned me of you too."

Snape's eyes were so glazed they were making me hungry for doughnuts. His face, however, retained its usual look of utter fury.

"Five points from Gryffindor," he snapped.

Across the class Gregory looked about ready to protest, but he didn't. My opinion of him went up a notch. He at least had a little sense.

We spent the rest of the lesson making a sleeping potion and ignoring Snape while he went on about the first year Slytherin class he'd taken at nine. They were apparently far better than us but then again, they were Slytherin weren't they. I began to think that Snape was the main reason for the Gryffindor/Slytherin argument. It made me angry just to think that people like Snape were responsible for people like Gregory picking on Lucy. But the very next morning made up for any anguish suffered by the class the previous day.

At breakfast the next day Snape swept in with his usual aura of smugness and his old black cloak sweeping along behind him with - and I'm not kidding here - its own radiance of smugery.

He sat down at his usual place on the teacher's table at the front of the hall. But as soon as his large rear end touched the seat of the chair a large noise echoed round the hall. It was like someone had blown a huge raspberry except louder and no person at blown it. There was complete and utter silence throughout the hall while the echoes bounced themselves off the wall. Then, simultaneously, the entire student body burst in to hysterical fits of laughter. Even the teachers were chuckling. It was lucky the sound was as deafening as it was because, over at the Gryffindor table, Lucy let out a very loud "Yes!"

Snape went beetroot red and stood up. He turned around and looked down. He bent down and picked something up and held it to the hall. The laughter increased; if possible, as all the people familiar with the brick red item realised that Professor Snape had been pranked. It was a whoopee cushion.

"WHO DID THIS!"

The hall gasped and went quiet. Professor Snape walked around the teacher table and looked daggers at the entire hall. I think only a few of us noticed Professor Longbottom at the teachers table pointing at Snape's back and silently giggling. Most of us were staring right in to Snape's red, angry face.

"COME ON!" Snape yelled. "WHO DID THIS!"

There was complete silence.

He glared at us one last time then walked out the hall. No-one's eyes left him until he had cleared the door. But that was a mistake. For in the drama of his exit everyone had caught a glimpse of the sign stuck to the back of Snape's cloak. 'He who smelt it dealt it'.

The hall erupted in to laughter again. Lucy, Joseph and I exchanged satisfied grins of a job well done.

"You think you're funny, do you?"

I looked up in to the face of Gregory Weasley. He was glaring at me with no less anger than Snape. But I could tell he'd been laughing along with the rest of us.

"No," I said, "I think we're hardworking, early rising and brilliant schemers."

"I think we're funny," volunteered Lucy.

"You have to admit," said Joseph, "That was a classic."

"Look here," said Gregory, "My father and uncle were the pranksters when they were here and I'm going to be the prankster this time around. Back off my territory missy. No-one uses Weasley Wizard Wheezes tricks around here except me."

"Oh no," I said, "That was a Muggle prank."

With a final scowl Gregory turned and walked away with almost as much unsuccessful drama as Snape. Once he was out of earshot, the Gryffindor table broke out in fits of laughter again. We waited until his blue and green flashing hair had vanished in to the darkness outside the main door before we took our bows.

"That," I told my adoring fans. "Was a Weasley Wizard Wheezes prank."

The next day at breakfast Gregory defined what he called his territory when half the Slytherin table turned in to canaries. I would have laughed it off like the rest of the hall except Lucy took a bite of her toast and she too turned in to a little yellow bird. There was much fluttering around until Lucy turned human again. I eyed my own cereal with great suspicion and pushed it aside.

"Gregory," I said.

"Hmm?"

He was sitting on the opposite side of the table a little further down. Far away enough so he didn't get grabbed but close enough so he could hear everything said without it having to be shouted.

"Why did Lucy just turn in to a _Serinus Canarius_?" I asked.

That was a technique my father taught me. If you're facing an opponent bigger than you, confuse him. Use long, complicated words. Don't ask me why I knew the official species name, I just did.

"Whur?" Gregory's face was blank, his forehead crinkled with too much hard thought.

"A canary." Joseph told him.

I gave Joseph a look that said 'spoilsport'

"I was trying to trick the Slytherins," explained Gregory, "And she's-"

"Urgh!" I cried as Lucy turned what I was beginning to come to call her 'Family Embarrassment' pink. "I thought we dealt with that at the start-of-term feast! Lucy. Is. A. Gryff-In-Dor. " I sounded out the last sentence in the hope that he might latch on to something "Not Slyth-er-in. Comprendre?"

"Oh come on," said Gregory, "You can't really believe she belongs here. I mean look at her family!"

"Yeah," I said, "Well, my father was a Ravenclaw but you don't see me sitting under the silver hawk, do you?"

"Can people stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Lucy piped in. "I can speak for myself you know. I'm probably older than both of you. Stop treating me like a little kid!"

"Sorry Lucy," I said, smiling to myself about Lucy's fierceness. "I have a tendency to run

off with something I'm determined about."

"That's all right," said Lucy, "But you," she pointed at Gregory. "I have two words for you.

Shut. Up."

" Don't you tell me to shut up," said Gregory, "I'm twice the prankster you'll ever be. It's in my blood."

"You wanna bet?" I challenged.

Gregory finished his bacon and pushed his plate away.

"Let war commence," he said, and walked away.

Lucy, Joseph and I watched him go.

"Veni Vidi Vici." I muttered.

"Eh?"

"I came, I saw, I conquered," explained Joseph, "It's Latin."

"How do you know these things?" I asked, turning to Joseph.

"I read it in a book." said Joseph, "How about you?"

I simply shrugged

Our first lesson was double Defence Against the Dark Arts. A tall, female, silver haired teacher was already sitting on the desk when we walked in.

"Good," she said, looking up and smiling. "You're early. We'll just wait for the Slytherins."

Lucy groaned and flopped down in a seat at the side of the class. I bit my lip. Of course. It had said in the timetable. 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock. Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin.

The Slytherins made their entrance, late of course.

"Could you please be on time next lesson or I will take one point off Slytherin for every minute are late," said the teacher.

On the other side of the class I heard Jane Jordan go "Oooooooh!"

The teacher read out the register but only got as far as my name before she looked up.

"Lione Davies?" she asked the class.

"Yes Ma'am?" I said, panicking slightly.

"Any relation to Roger Davies?" she asked, looking in my direction.

"My Father."

She looked me up and down, then nodded before moving on to Denise Holly.

"Right then class," she said, after Gregory had answered to his name. "My name is Professor Delacour and contrary to what was being whispered at the beginning of the lesson I have no intention to only last one year. I have been here for fifteen years and I have no plan to leave just yet.

"Now in this lesson we'll be learning about vampires. I'm sure you've all seen the rumours in the newspapers about people being found dead from immense blood loss so I'm going to teach you the truth behind the old tales of stakes, garlic and even the story about stealing their left sock."

My mind drifted off after that. I vaguely remember making notes, hearing about throwing poppy seeds and getting drunk before you go hunting vamps but aside from the actual information I remember nothing about the lesson. You'd think a lesson with the Slytherins would stick in my head wouldn't you? All I could think about was Professor Delacour's reaction to my name. How did she know my father?

Before I knew it I was in the common room, after having lunch and getting the books for my afternoon lessons.

As the portrait hole opened I looked up. Joseph entered. He'd gone to the library hadn't he? To look up the history of pranksters.

He came over as soon as he spotted us, one hand in his robe pocket.

"Er..." he said, "I have a problem"

I stared at the pocket containing his hand and looked back up at him.

"Do we want to know it?" I asked.

Lucy giggled. I stared at her, only just remembering she was there too.

"No!" cried Joseph, "This!"

He took his hand out of his pocket. A small piece of paper was attached to it.

"I can't get it off," he explained.

"Oh come on!" I cried.

I seized the paper and pulled at it. I couldn't get it off. Then I couldn't get my hand off.

Lucy reached forward and took the paper. She couldn't get her hand off either.

"Why does this seem familiar?" I asked.

"The golden goose," said Joseph.

"Do you remember everything?"

Joseph considered this for a while.

"Mostly."

Just then I was aware of laughter behind us. We turned our heads. Gregory was looking at us, laughing. He managed out a few syllables but no clear sentences or declaration of guilt.

"Oh don't try pretending you did this," said Lucy, "That's not your handwriting. I know your handwriting because I sat next to you in Herbology the other day. Your handwriting is far scruffier."

"What does it say?" asked Gregory.

He moved forward. Quick as a flash (well... almost) I grabbed his hand with my free arm and forced him to touch the paper.

"Hey!"

I smirked at him.

"It says," read Joseph, "'We are, and will always be, the prankster kings of Hogwarts School.'"

Both Gregory and I said, "Huh!" in protest.

"That's either very old," I reasoned, "Or stupid. I mean we are the new pranksters of Hogwarts School."

And the room filled with light.

**A/N: **I know, I know, another cliff-hanger. Well I am trying to update every other day so you won't have to wait very long. Please review, it makes me happy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Arguments, Fights and Even More Arguments**

I blinked. I blinked again. I was starting to get my vision back but there was still that fuzzy purple/ green thing you get just after you've looked in to a bright light.

I looked around. No one else in the common room seemed to think anything else was up. Gregory, Joseph, Lucy and I were standing exactly where we were except with a distinct lack of paper attached to our hands.

Lucy was the first to react. She bent down to pick up the paper. I thought my reflexes were quick but they were nothing compared to Gregory's. His hand moved from its place hovering mid air to around her arm so quick it didn't seem to occupy the surrounding air.

"Don't," he warned.

Laura appeared behind us.

"You know," she said, "We do have other lessons." She reached down and picked up the paper. She handed it to Lucy.

"You dropped something."

We stared after her, then back at Lucy. Lucy stared at her hand. The paper was very definitely there, now reading '_You have been chosen_'. She dropped it, snatched it in mid air, and then dropped it again. She caught it near the ground and raised her arm to drop it again.

"All right," said Gregory, "We get the picture. We realised it wasn't still sticking the first time, Malfoy."

When he walked away I suddenly felt very strange. Perhaps I thought his actions to stop Lucy getting attached again had stamped out all the hostility but I was incorrect. I felt that there was something incredibly wrong about his separation from us.

I glanced at my watch. A couple of minutes to one. I seized my bag, thrust the paper into my pocket and made my way out the common room and on to History of Magic.

History was as boring as ever so I took out the paper and gazed at it for a while.

'_You have been chosen_'.

Chosen for what? I hate it when people are mysterious with me. I like being mysterious myself but I hate to think that there's more than people are telling me. My Mum said I should be a reporter because of my intense curiosity. I said that was unlikely. I can barely write a page long thank you note to my Grandma, let alone an entire news story. But I like to know things.

Clicking out of my daydream I looked down. My hand had automatically been writing notes on pieces of parchment. I read them; they were quite informative for someone caught in a reverie (a great word meaning daydream that I got off Joseph). My eyes drifted over the paper Joseph had found. It no longer said '_You have been chosen_'. Now it said '_You have mischief in your soul_'. The seriousness of it made me giggle. Those around me looked at me. Professor Binns, our unbelievably dull ghostly History of Magic teacher, hadn't stopped.

The paper revealed a list. Directions, starting from the Gryffindor common room and ending at a cupboard. At the top it said '_Guide to the essential prankster's tool kit_'.

I felt my thumbs prickle. This had the opportunity for a lot of fun.

"Lucy!" I cried as soon as the last lesson was over. "Joey!"

"Joseph."

"Whatever," I said, "Come here."

I led them away from the main bulk of the school and showed them the instructions. They stared at it for a while.

"It's a treasure map!"

Lucy spun around and gasped. I sighed. I had felt that happening.

Gregory leaned forward and tried to snatch the paper from my unresisting hand. Trouble was I_ was_ resisting and held on tight. There was a short struggle while I tried to push Gregory away ­by only using my elbows. Then, and I'm sure everyone saw this coming, the paper ripped, straight down the middle, vertically.

"Ah."

"All right," I said, "New deal. You give us that half and we'll share some of the treasure with you."

"Not likely," said Gregory, "I don't trust you. Give me that half and I won't beat you up."

"A," I said, "Hah! B, I don't trust you."

We were in the common room and had been debating this for some time. It was beginning to turn in to a rather fun game. Offerings ranging from money to 'We won't put itching powder in your underwear' (My idea). All family borders were forgotten. Well... almost.

"There's no question about who should find the stuff," said Gregory, "My Father and Uncle George were the pranksters in their time here. My Uncle Ron told me all about it. Therefore, by genetics, I should be supreme prankster. Therefore get the stuff. Ipso, factso."

I stared at him, wandering what 'Ipso' meant.

"What about me?" asked Lucy.

Gregory glared at her.

"Ah," said Joseph in his 'I'm just about to reveal a fact that actually has some vital importance to the current situation, for once' voice. "But the paper was activated by the word '_We_ are the new pranksters at Hogwarts School' Not _I_. The treasure is obviously intended for a group of people, not just one."

I couldn't help but wonder how he remembered that. I didn't.

"Good," I said, giving Joseph a look exactly halfway between amazement and oddity. "So it should be given to the people in the majority. Joseph, Lucy and I. Hand it over Bubba."

Joseph put his head in his hands. Lucy let out an exasperated sigh. Gregory groaned.

"Oh come on girl-"

"Lione," I growled, "Or Lee."

Like I said, I'm fine with any spelling of my name or any short form. It gets quite entertaining at Christmas to see all the variations. But I hate it when people call me: the wrong name, 'Tiffany's/ Roger's daughter' or 'girl'. I mean, I do have a name. People who can't be bothered to say it were just being lazy.

"Lee," continued Gregory, absently. "I know you're not stupid. You know the point Joseph is trying to make is that obviously we have to find the things together. Then decide what to do from there. We could go tonight if that's all right with you, Lio?"

I contemplated this for a while.

"All right," I agreed.

"Good," said Gregory, obviously relieved.

At what? I wondered.

"My Father gave me an invisibility cloak so I could get up to mischief while I was here and it's obvious that's not going to happen until we sort out some kind of system here. I'm sure it will cover all four of us. Any questions?"

He glared round at us as if daring us to disagree with him. I couldn't help it. I raised my hand as if in the classroom. Gregory sighed.

"Yes?"

"Lio?"

"What's wrong with Lio?"

I smiled.

"Nothing," I said, "Just never been called it before."

To my surprise, if not everyone's, Gregory blushed.

That night, once everyone else had gone to bed, Lucy, Joseph, Gregory and I crept out of the common room and covered ourselves with Gregory's invisibility cloak. As he swung it round us I didn't notice a difference, but when I turned to tell him so he'd vanished. Despite myself, I gasped.

"Ssh!" hissed Gregory, or at least his voice. "They can't see us but they can hear us. Forward!"

"Righty-ho Greg!"

"Greg?"

"What's wrong with Greg?"

"Nothing, just never been called that before."

"Does that sentence seem familiar to you?"

"Will you two be quiet!" came Lucy's voice in her very unique whisper that echoed in the rafters. "If Mr Creevey hears us and comes to see what the big noise is about he's sure to figure out that we're under here! Then we'll get in trouble and we'll get detentions and points will be taken off Gryffindor and they'll tell our parents-"

"You're making more noise than the rest of us, Malfoy!"

"Oh don't call me Malfoy you... you... fire hydrant. I am not defined by my last name you know."

"How do you know what a fire hydrant is?"

"How dare you call me a fire hydrant!"

"I name 'em as I see 'em."

"Will you lot be QUIET!"

They stopped. A slight rustling indicated that they were either all turning to face me (or at least the general direction of my voice) or had turned their backs on each other (or at least the general directions of their voices).

"We can't stay here or we'll get in trouble," I said, "So let's get out of here, find that thing, and get back to bed. Because if I don't get enough sleep, heads will not roll but they will get very bruised because I will smack them into to other heads! Is that clear?"

There was a mumbled, "Yes," before we moved on.

We made our way slowly through the corridors of the school. Four pairs of feet moving together. Joseph reading out the directions since he was the only one who could do an audible but quiet whisper. Just as we reached a staircase, almost there, Lucy suddenly vanished from sight.

All right, that's rather hard to do when you're covered with an invisibility cloak. You can't really go even further out of sight than invisible. But at least you could feel that they were there, sense their presence. So let's just say that she dropped out of all sensory range.

Actually that's not really accurate either. As her foot went through a fake step, causing her to topple over and, as you can guess, downwards she let forth a small scream. It echoed.

But that wasn't the worst she did. She knocked the paper out of Joseph's hand. It appeared in sight near the step and sank in to it. That was the last we ever saw of it.

Lucy gasped with horror. My mouth fell open in shock. I couldn't see but I could almost hear Joseph's eyes become wide in surprise. Gregory (I think) pulled Lucy back up and hissed.

"Look what you've done now you silly girl!"

"Silly Girl!"

We moved down to the end of the staircase but when we stopped the footsteps continued.

"Hello?"

"It's Mr Creevey!" cried Joseph

It was, and he was coming this way.

"Is anybody there?"

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from calling out "No!"

"No-one?"

I looked around panicked. Had I said that out loud?

In the doorway the figure of Mr Creevey, the school caretaker, had appeared. We always

thought he was a strange bloke, talking to himself in the corridors. There was a theory that his brother had died while they were at Hogwarts and it had disturbed him for life but no one ever bought in to it. We would have heard about it if it happened, wouldn't we?

"Why do I call?" he asked himself.

Again I had to bite down an erge to say, "Because you're a twit."

"They'd only run away," he continued, "But they're gone now anyway. Probably weren't even here, me hearing things again. But it's best to be on my guard with the ring back again. Anyone'd want that thing. But best make sure it doesn't get in to the wrong hands. Who'd have to clear up the chaos if that happened? Me of course. Ah well, at least none of the students know it's here."

I'd never known before but the sound of someone grinning is a quiet 'tlink' sound. I don't think I would have ever discovered that if Gregory hadn't enlightened me.

We remained silent, except Gregory's intensive grinning, as Mr Creevey wandered off, muttering to himself. Once he was out of sight and the arguments threatened begin again I spoke out.

"Look," I said, "We can talk about who's fault that was later. Right now we're too close to give up now. Does anyone remember the last four instructions?"

There was a pause.

"Yes."

"Joseph?"

"Yes," said Joseph, "I remember them. Can't anyone else?"

"Course not," said Gregory, "No-one can remember them all word for word."

"I can," said Joseph, "Easy really. At the end of the staircase turn left and continue for nine paces if it's not a full moon or eleven paces if it is."

Joseph led us the rest of the way. By the end of it we were in a small room with only one tiny cupboard in it. We threw the invisibility cloak off and approached it.

"What next Mr walking-talking-encyclopaedia?" I asked.

"Put your hand on the button at the end of the cupboard and say... something," said Joseph.

"What?" asked Lucy.

"Something," repeated Joseph.

"Oh he's forgotten!" cried Gregory.

"I have not!"

"Look here Greg," I said, "I may have only know Joseph for a short while but there's one thing I know and that's that he never forgets anything. Least of all something this important."

"It's one of his defining points," added Lucy, "Just like I'm talkative, Lee's smart and you're a Jerk."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said, Weasley!"

"Do yourself a favour, Malfoy," said Gregory, "Don't try insulting me by my last name. Unlike yours, it's respectable."

"Try acting like it then."

"Will you two shut up!"

"Keep out of this, Missy."

"Don't call my friend Missy! Your argument's with me, not her."

"All right. I'll call you Missy, Missy."

"You are far too childish to be here by now."

"Oh yeah, what's the betting I'm older than you, shorty."

"My birthday's in October, smart-arse. I'm guessing yours is later than that. Oh, and all tree's are felled at ground level, buster."

"Now that is uncalled for. I recognise that quote, Lucy."

"As if you could fell trees. You have to be able to pick them up, chubby!"

"At least I don't have the muscles of a stick insect."

"At least I have muscles."

"Hardly!"

While Lucy and Gregory were busy snapping at each other and I was busy trying to stop them, I hadn't been noticing what Joseph was doing. We were only alerted of his activities by the sound of wood scraping against a stone floor. We looked up just in time to see Joseph withdraw his hand from the cupboard and look up at us, grinning. The wall behind him was moving out like a pair of automatic doors.

"What'd you say?" asked Lucy.

There was a barely audible 'tlink' as Joseph grinned extraordinarily wide.

"Something."

As the wall moved out of the way, a bright light flowed out of the gap causing all four of us to simultaneously raise our arms to our eyes. As we saw the contents of the room on the other side we all gasped.

"Woah."

That was all we could say. It was a good description. If I were to describe the sights I saw I would only be able to say "Woah" or possibly "Wow". I might even verge on an "Amazing!" but only if I was in a particularly articulate mood.

As we moved forward, in to the light and saw the items hid round corners and such, more words came to mind. I think Gregory summarised it when he said,

"I have tasted Heaven's nectar and found it sweet!"

We all laughed at that, size of muscles and family name's forgotten.

"This is the greatest thing I have ever seen!" I gasped.

I looked round to see Lucy grinning at Gregory and me.

"What?"

"It's like giving monkeys the key to the banana plantation, isn't it?"

"Why?"

"I feel very sorry for them," added Joseph.

"Who?"

"The whole school!" said Lucy throwing her arms out wide. "I mean look at this stuff! I can only imagine what you two would get up to with this amount of practical jokes at hand!"

I grinned, so did Gregory. They were very evil grins.

"So can I."

A/N: There you go, not a cliffhanger this time. Aren't I nice?

Thanks to all the reviewers, I really appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Names**

The room was full of practical jokes. Mousetrap gum, trick sweets, things to slip in to people's drinks, fake wands, blow up vanishing chairs so you could carry them in your pocket (just add magic!) and even shrinking keys.

On the far side of the room was a long golden plaque. On it was a long list of names. I ran my fingers over the lettering. All different types of handwriting, scorched into the metal. Joseph started to silently read the names, lips moving as he memorised them one by one. Gregory and Lucy moved either side of me and started to point excitedly.

"Look!" said Gregory pointing to two names near the bottom of the list. "Fred Weasley, George Weasley. My Dad and Uncle! This must be a list of pranksters from the past. Wow! James Potter!"

"Sirius Black," read Lucy, "Raoul Hamlin, Brenda Cobble, Edward Lewis, Tim Bryden, Amanda Sharpe, Lucy Wilkin. Look! A Lucy!"

"No Gregories," said Gregory, disappointed. "But two people called Darius."

"I think there was an old singer called Darius," said Joseph, "It's a very rare name. But there we go, a pair of Dariei."

"I think everyone inscribed their names themselves," I said.

I pulled my wand out of my pocket and looked at it curiously. Joseph stepped forward.

"I think I know a spell like that," he said, pointing his wand at the wall. "Escribtus!" The wand flared for a moment. "Joseph Bower."

We all watched as...

...Nothing happened.

Joseph stepped back looking put out. I gazed at the wall thoughtfully.

"It's handwriting," I mused aloud.

Gregory pulled out his own wand and moved forward. Pressing it against the wall he cried out.

"Escribtus!"

He moved the wand like a pencil, and then stepped back to admire his work. Underneath the last name it read 'Gregory Weasley'. Taking the hint, one by one we moved forward to write our names. Once we were finished four names were left, glowing. Gregory Weasley, Lione Davies, Joseph Bower and Lucy Malfoy. There was also a tiny smiley face next to Lucy's name that she couldn't help but add.

"Up!"

I jolted out of my daydream and hurriedly told my broom to do just that. We were in flying class the next day and I was half asleep. So was Lucy by the look of it, I knocked her with my broom until she got the idea and called "Up!"

The broom shot up in to her hand, she was one of the lucky ones. Several other Gryffindors and Slytherins were in real trouble. At the end of the line Gatrine Byway was getting so mad she pulled out her wand, pointed it at her broom and screamed,

"If you don't go up this minute I'll curse you so hard all that'll be left is a bunch of twigs and a humorously shaped splinter!"

The broom shot up in to the air with the force of a NASA rocket then fell back down, neatly, in to Gatrine's waiting hand.

I yawned. We'd been up half the night looking at all the pranks in the room. They were amazing. Then there'd been that other argument with Gregory because we'd wanted to prank the Slytherin Quidditch captain right before the match next week and so did he. Then Gregory had said something about Colubra or something. I glanced over at Gregory; he had a small bruise on his cheek. Had Lucy hit him?

"Right," said Madam Hooch, our flying instructor. "Now when I blow this whistle, you kick off. No-one is to go before I blow."

She was giving Samuel some very odd looks. Laura was looking at Samuel's confused expression and laughing.

"One, two…"

Madam Hooch looked positively shocked that Samuel was still on the ground and blew her whistle.

We took off. I felt the wind in my hair as I sailed through the air, and I'm not a person who usually rhymes. It felt exquisite. I felt as free as a bird. I closed by eyes to enjoy the sense of it. I felt as if there was nothing holding me down, no consequences and no rules. No Teachers, no family, no gravity, nothing stopping me from being me.

When I opened by eyes things were a bit fuzzy. I blinked. I blinked again. Something swung in to place. Something… pale. I jumped, the entire flying class, Slytherins and all, jumped backwards.

I looked around. What was I doing in the Hospital wing? I didn't remember how I got there. The students around me looked shocked.

"What?" I asked.

"We were going to ask you that," said Jane Jordan, coldly.

Lucy gave her a look halfway between annoyance and fear.

"You fell off your broom," said Lucy.

"How'd you manage it?" asked Robert, jumping forward. "We all saw you flying. It was amazing."

"Couldn't have been that good if she fell off," Jane pointed out.

Everyone shushed her, even her housemates.

"Look you guys," came Gregory's voice from the back of the crowd. "She fell off her broom, it happens. She probably got a little too confident in her skills. Leave her be."

All the class departed, well, almost all of it.

Gregory moved forward.

"OK," he said, "Why'd you do it?"

"Why'd I do what?"

"You got a death wish of something?"

"What are you talking about?"

Gregory sighed. "I saw you," he said, "You were flying so well. Then you closed your eyes and just threw yourself off. I was right next to you. Why'd you do it, Lio?"

I concentrated. I remembered a sense of freedom, so much freedom. But I didn't remember any absence of broomstick. Come to think of it I didn't remember there being a broomstick from the moment I took off. It had felt like I was soaring through plain air.

"I don't remember jumping," I told Gregory.

He gave me an odd look.

"You're weird."

I smiled. "I know."

Gregory smiled. "How's about we prank Captain Aquillis together?"

We ran havoc on Hogwarts for the next weeks and months. Teachers found themselves sitting on nothing, students turned in to all kinds of creatures and even ghosts had to watch where they wal- floated. Our friendship grew stronger and stronger. We had a thing going.

Joseph was the decision maker, judging which prank to pull next by all manner of factors only he could remember.

Gregory and I would come up with the delivery. I was good at ideas but couldn't match Greg's enthusiasm. He came up with more ridiculous ways of playing the jokes faster than I could knock them down for being, well, utterly moronic.

Lucy was the perfect delivery girl. Her fake innocent look was so convincing I fall for it. She did have a tendency to giggle a bit when the victim's back was turned but she could explain that with so much conviction people walked away feeling they'd received a perfectly good explanation. She had her own type of logic that could be applied to any circumstances and, more amazingly, it worked!

One evening we were sitting by the fire in the common room, talking. Christmas was drawing closer and we were discussing the possibilities of ice related pranks. Lucy and Joseph were writing up their History of Magic homework. Gregory, quick as always, and I had finished ours and were examining something we'd found in the room called 'The Marauder's map'.

"You know," I said, "This could be the single greatest aid to pranksters ever created."

"I dunno," said Gregory, dreamily. "That bubble gum that gives you all the symptoms of Chicken pox is pretty sweet."

I stared down at the map again, paused, and then looked back up at Greg.

"Very bad joke, Greg."

"Took you long enough."

"I wonder who the Marauders were. I mean, there's no Moony, Prongs, Wormtail and Padfoot on the board."

"They may not have been called the Marauders. Marauder means buccaneer, swashbuckler, explorer, pirate."

"Pirate!" squeaked Lucy, "There are pirates around. I don't want to go near any pirates. They're nasty and they stab you through the heart without even thinking about it. Right there!"

She tapped her chest at the place where she believed her heart was, just below her left shoulder.

"Try a bit more to the right," I suggested.

Gregory sniggered

"Try doing a bit more research before having a rant, Air Jet," said Gregory, "Pirates are dead."

"Air Jet?"

Lucy sounded more curious then angry.

"Yeah," said Gregory, "'Cos you talk a lot."

I grinned

"Suits you Lucy."

Lucy smiled.

"What about you, Asher?"

"Asher?"

"Yeah. 'Cos you've got fiery red hair and eyes. Fire - Ash - Asher."

"My eyes aren't red."

"No," said Joseph, thoughtfully. "They're red. But you couldn't describe them as sparkling. A better word would be... alight."

"Hmm," I said, "Asher and Air Jet. What next?"

"What about you?" Lucy turned to me, homework forgotten. "What seems appropriate for Lee?"

Joseph and Gregory appeared to consider it for a while. Gregory broke the silence first, as he often did.

"Kettle."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah!" said Lucy, "Kettle is so you Lee. I mean, if anyone were to pick an animal to describe you it'd be snake. You're kind of sly and slippery. Snakes hiss, so do Kettles."

"Interesting," I said.

"What about Joseph?"

We considered Joseph.

What were those names again?" I asked, eventually.

"Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail and Moony."

"Couldn't we do a play on Moony?" I suggested, "I mean, you've seen him in astronomy class, Mr Know-it-all."

"Well my father is an astronomer," said Joseph, defensively.

"Starsy," said Lucy.

We all nodded.

"Couldn't we have a group name?" said Lucy, "You know, like the Marauders?"

"I'm telling you, they weren't called the Marauders," cried Joseph, "It was probably a map for Marauders. Something that would be useful to a plunderer or a raider."

"Where do you get these words from?" I asked.

Joseph showed be a book about two inches thick. It wasn't a magic book; it wasn't even a storybook.

"Joseph," I said, slowly. "You carry a thesaurus around with you."

"And?"

"Why?"

"Just in case I need to look up a word."

"Ooh yeah," conveyed Gregory, "Bet that really impresses girls at parties, knowing sixteen different words for 'say'."

"Greg," I warned.

I turned back to Joseph to tell him to ignore Gregory but he was deep in to his thesaurus, riffling through the pages. We stared at him for a long while until he raised his head and asked,

"How do you feel about 'Corsairs'?"

So that's it, that's how Gregory Weasley, Lucy Malfoy, Joseph Bower and Lione Davies became Asher, Air Jet, Starsy and Kettle. But that's not where _this_ story ends. There's still a lot more to go. I'm only on chapter six. There's a whole lot to do with snakes, vampires and evil madmen to come (honest). But not _quite_ yet.

The next part takes place a few days before we broke up for Christmas. I woke up one night (Thank you, Cat the mouse) to find Lucy missing from her bed. I had a slight inkling of where she might have gone. I crept in to the boy's dormitory and checked under Gregory's bed. The invisibility cloak was still there. I padded down to the common room and once finding it empty I swung the cloak around me and went out through the portrait hole.

It didn't take long to find the room again; we'd been there several times. Every time we'd gone Lucy had stared at the plaque. As I entered the room I found Lucy sitting on the ground doing just that.

"Lucy," I whispered.

Lucy jumped and looked round. Her feet were bare and she was wearing the black and green striped pyjamas she'd worn on our first night. She must have been frozen walking through the stone corridors of the school in winter. And how she avoided Creevey without the invisibility cloak I have no idea.

I took the cloak off and kneeled down next to Lucy. I was wearing slippers over feet warmers and warm pyjamas with my nightie underneath so I was quite snug. I wished I'd brought my cloak for Lucy; she looked chilled to the bone.

"Come on, Air Jet," I said, "What's up? What's with the obsession over that list?"

Lucy stared at me silently, then turned to the plaque again. She gazed at it, eyes racing up and down, examining the lettering. I watched her for a while then followed her eyesight. Whatever it was she was seeing I wasn't. But that was the point.

"There's none."

I glimpsed back at Lucy's face. It was white as marble and just as still.

"None what?"

Lucy leant forward so she was on her knees at full attention. I looked back at the plaque, trying to see what she was seeing.

"There's none," she repeated, "I mean, look. All the old families are there. Potter, Ryan, Cobble, Dee," she turned to look at me, her eyes as deep as a vat of melted chocolate. "Weasley. But no Malfoys. There are Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins and Ravenclaws. All the Houses united in order to prank everyone else. But no Malfoys. We're as old a family as any of them, older! But there's not a single Malfoy among them. Why, Kettle? Why?"

I looked at her, confused.

"I don't think you're seeing it right," I said.

I moved forward and put my hand on the plaque, finger resting against the smiley face.

"There is a Malfoy, there."

Lucy put her head on one side.

"Oh, _I_ don't count!"

"Then why does everyone else?" I asked, "Besides, everything's got to start somewhere. I mean, what if-" my eyes scanned the metal for some suitable name. "Peter Pettigrew thought his family weren't important enough to be pranksters and got all depressed like you. But now, if any other Pettigrew comes to Hogwarts he'll be able to point to Peter's name and go 'Look! A Pettigrew'. Everything's got to start somewhere Air Jet. If it could start with Pettigrew, then why not you?"

Lucy stared at me. I wondered what I had done wrong.

"Lee," said Lucy, "Peter Pettigrew went to Azkaban with my grandparents. He was a traitor."

My eyes darted between Lucy's face and Pettigrew's name.

"Ah."

Lucy smiled.

The next week was the last week of term. Those who were leaving left and those who were staying stayed. My parents had advised me to try out a Hogwarts Christmas just to see what it was like before deciding to be homesick and come home so I was staying.

Gregory claimed that he couldn't stand to spend one more Christmas with his annoying cousin Simon and weird Uncle Percy so was staying nice and far away from them as was currently possible.

Lucy claimed she had to go home for family stuff. Knowing Lucy's family consisted of her brother Colubra, her parents and no one else I figured that her parents wanted her to come home because they were worried about her.

Joseph said he didn't believe in Santa but that his sister Caitlyn did so if he went home there was a higher probability of his getting more presents in stockings and such like. This shocked us as it was very unlike him. That was, until he secretly confided in me that what he was hoping Santa would bring him was a nice book about all the constellations in the night's sky.

It was the last day of term, the day everyone was supposed to leave. Or, to be more precise, the hour everyone was supposed to leave, the final five minutes before everyone was supposed to leave, and Lucy was missing.

Not missing exactly, I knew where she was and what she'd be doing. As I entered the room she was sitting, cross-legged on the ground, staring at the plaque.

"Oh Lucy."

"Don't worry," said Lucy, turning to me. She was smiling. "I'm not moping; I'm just having one final look. I understood what you were going on about last time and I'm just thinking about all the Malfoys that will come after me. Descendants of Colubra, of course. It was just a little mope. Like Brenda."

"Who?"

"Brenda Cobble."

Lucy held up something to me. It was a small, red, hardback book. On the cover was written, in gold leaf, 'My inner prankster, by Brenda Cobble'.

"She was just like me," said Lucy, "Ancient family, uncertain of what she was supposed to be doing. It's all about how she held Hogwarts in fear through her pranks, her friends, the gravity ring, her family, all sorts of stuff. Here," she placed the book in to my hands. "Read it while I'm away, might give you some ideas for pranks. I better go, I don't want to miss my train."

As she stood up I just gaped at her. She didn't seem to notice.

"The gravity ring?" I asked, "As in that thing Mr Creevey was muttering about the night we found this place?"

"Yeah," said Lucy, brushing the dust off her jeans. "And some stuff about vampires. You know, Brenda was around when Dumbledore was a first year. Says in there 'Pulled the old hair soup trick on that 1st year Worm Albus Dumbledore today. Serves him right for not listening when a prefect tells him not to go down there.' or words to that effect. Amazing really, I'd wondered how his hair got that long. Beards don't usually trail, do they?"

She was out the door before I could stutter a reply.

The book fell with a thud on the table in front of Gregory. He looked up at me.

"Oh come on Lio," he said, "You know I'm not that big a reader. Give it to Joseph."

"Read the cover won't you!"

Gregory juddered backwards and cowered slightly under my glare. His eyes flicked down to the book and, obediently, read the cover. Five seconds later he grabbed the book and began to flick through the pages.

"Try page fifteen," I suggested, "That's the first time she mentions the gravity ring."

"The gravity ring?" said Gregory, "As in that thing Mr Creevey-"

"Yes, yes, yes," I said, "We've been through that."

"I haven't"

"Well I have, with Lucy. She ignored it as if it wasn't important. Mentioned Vampires and hair soup or something. The point is… Well… Vampires!"

"What about them?"

I glared at him again.

"Do you remember _anything_ we learnt in Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

Gregory began to shake his head but after seeing the look I was giving him, stopped and turned it in to an enthusiastic nod instead. I wasn't fooled.

"You know those rumours about Vampires flying, making things float around and throwing people against the wall without even touching them?"

The enthusiastic nod again, this time with a confused grin. The sort of grin that says 'I have no idea what you're talking about but you'd better continue or I get the feeling you're going to kick me in the head. Or other places…' I'd never seen a grin with so much to say for it's self before.

"Well this is where they come from!" I cried, hitting the pages of the book with my hand.

"One vampire got hold of this ring and poof! Everyone thinks vamps are born with that power. This ring can give anybody, and I mean _anybody _the power to bend gravity to his or her will. That's what the rumours were all about. Changing the way gravity worked. It's incredibly powerful. You know all those rumours about vampires on the move?"

Another nod, this one genuine.

"That's why the ring is here! If they got their hands on it, there's no telling what chaos they could cause. First there'd be…"

I trailed off as Gregory's face slowly bended it's self in to the widest grin I had ever seen, even on him. And Gregory was capable of some _wide_ grins.

"Chaos?"

I nodded, uncertain of what he was getting at. The grin only seemed to widen, if that was at all possible.

"Lio."

I nodded again.

"Yes?"

"We've gotta find it."

A/N: First of all I'd like to say that I don't see anything wrong with carrying a Thesaurus around with you. You get really good words out of it like 'Vivacity'.

Secondly I should mention that hair soup is taken from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

And Lastly I should say; see! No cliffhanger. I don't always put them in you know! I hope you're happy now.

Goes off to sulk because she likes cliff-hangers


	7. Chapter 7

**Christmas**

The Christmas holidays were fun; there were very few Gryffindors left so Gregory and I got the common room to ourselves. We only had to share it with two second year boys.

Gregory and I were playing wizard chess, or rather, I was beating Gregory at wizard chess when the two boys came over and looked over our shoulders.

"You don't want to move your knight there," one of them said to Gregory, "Can't you see her bishop? Move that pawn two steps forward."

"Oi!" I cried, "Don't give him advice."

"Hey," said the other boy, "You're the girl who pulled the whoopee cushion prank on Snape aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Robin Little, this is Arry Shunpike."

"Lione Davies," I said, "Call me Lee. This is Gregory Weasley." I paused as something about his last sentence just hit home. "Arry?"

"Well technically his name is Harry, I think."

"But if yer take someone's name ter be whatever they introduce themselves 'as," said Arry,

"'m Arry."

"Nice to meet you, Arry," I said, "And you Robin."

"Good to finally talk to you," said Robin, "Li."

I almost shivered with joy. I _loved_ the way Robin pronounced my name. You can almost hear the L I spelling. Gregory, however, didn't seem to like him. He was practically glaring at Robin. I had no idea why. Maybe Robin didn't come from one of the families on the Weasley list of approved names to have.

"So, Lee," said Arry (They both seemed to be ignoring Greg), "Do we 'ave ter watch where we tread this 'oliday"

"No," I said, "We decided to call off all pranks till there's more people here. Not everyone knows it's us."

"Yes they do."

"The teachers don't."

"Good point."

I pointed at Arry.

"But not as good as this one"

"Hey, Li," said Robin, "Look! It's snowing! Wanna come outside and have a snowball fight with us?"

I glanced over at Gregory; he didn't meet my eye. He just kept looking daggers at the two boys. I decided it wasn't a good idea to put as deadly a weapon as a snowball into his hands.

"No thanks," I said, "I think we'll stay here and finish our chess game."

Not until after they were way out of the common room did Gregory speak.

"I don't trust them."

"Why not?" I queried.

"Because..." he paused, "because they don't smell right."

"Then why did you have to pause?"

He paused again.

"Because I had to think about it."

I smiled.

"You know," I said, "I heard about a very interesting word yesterday. Wanna hear it?"

"What?"

"Trust."

By the time the boys returned, dripping wet and with crystals of snow in their hair, the game was almost mine. All that remained of Gregory's set were his king and one brave little pawn that had already claimed both my knights while I was taking the rest of Gregory's pieces and was slowly advancing across the board to the other side. My remaining pieces were eyeing it with suspicion.

Robin and Arry came back over.

"I'll play the winner," said Arry.

"No thanks," said Gregory, grinning at me.

I glared at him and moved my bishop forward ready to take the pawn as soon as it stepped on a white square. Gregory smirked and moved his king one step to the right instead.

"So," said Robin, "Bet it's hard not having any pranks to pull this holiday. Bet you're getting bored."

I ignored him and concentrated on the board. I moved my bishop down, check. Gregory moved his king diagonally.

"If I were you, I'd do something about trick presents in people's bedrooms or something," said Robin, "You know, those snakes that jump out at you when you open the box."

I moved my knight back to check the king again. Gregory moved it diagonally again.

"Now that I've said that, you're going to do it to me, aren't you? I just don't want to get concussion from a fluffy purple snake going fifty miles an hour straight towards me."

I moved my knight again and almost laughed. He was cornered; if he tried moving again my castle would catch him. The King moved forward and took my knight. I almost swore.

"If I were you," said Robin, sounding as if it was his last resort. "I'd be looking for the ring."

I stopped, mid instruction. My Castle decided to send it's self level with Greg's pawn rather then one space ahead of it.

Gregory and I stared up at Robin.

"What?"

"The Gravity Ring," said Arry, "Yer never 'eard of it?"

My mouth dropped open.

"Oh, it's this Ring that gives the vampires-"

"We know what it is," snapped Gregory, "What we want to know is what you know about it."

"And how," I added.

"Can't you just take it as 'I know'?"

"No."

"All right," said Robin, "An ancestor of mine found it."

"Brenda Cobble?"

"Yeah. How'd you-"

"Never you mind."

"Well if I have to-"

"You overheard Mr Creevey, didn't you?"

Robin and Arry gaped at me.

"Don't suppose you know where it is?" Gregory asked haughtily.

"No-"

"Then go away."

"Asher!"

"Asher?"

Greg moved his pawn a step forward. Queen. Check. I moved my king forward a square to the protection of the Castle. Greg started to move his Queen back towards him for a diagonal attack but quickly stopped it, mid movement, when he noticed my pawn.

Robin and Arry decided that they weren't going to get anything else out of us and wandered off. After loosing two pawns and a castle but promoting two more pawns I finally caught Gregory's rampaging queen and put his King in to Checkmate, but it was a close thing. And by that time the sun had set and it was time for bed.

Christmas day was amazing. It was quite extraordinary to wake up in my large and empty, yet cosy dormitory alone rather than alone in my large, empty and rather cold attic convert. At the end of my bed was a pile of about eight presents at the end of my bed. The reason I know the exact number is that I carried them all in to Gregory's dormitory. At the end of his bed was a virtual mountain. My mouth fell open, dropping my present from my Dad's parents.

"Woah!" I cried.

Gregory looked up from the gift he was opening to the heap at the end of his bed.

"Yeah," he said, "I have a large family." He scoffed, "Nice PJs, Kettle."

"Yeah," I sighed, "But Asher. I hate to tell you this but... tartan clashes with your hair."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The room was soon covered in multicoloured pieces of paper. Gregory had no less than sixteen parcels, and some of them contained more than one present. He explained that they were from his parents, both sets of grandparents, his Aunt Cathy, his Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, his cousin Simon, His uncle George, his Uncle Percy and Aunt Penelope, their kids, his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Betsy. I stopped him there. The mass family that was the Weasley Clan was too much for me to take in, in only one day. I concentrated on opening my presents. From my Grandparents, parents, Uncle and friends.

I was just trying on my Uncle Martin's present, a gorgeous set of heavy boots, when Gregory decided to pull my hair out.

"Ow!"

"Sorry."

I looked up at him. He was fiddling about with something in his hands. I peered closer.

Greg hit the thing several times with the palm of his hand then gazed at it with the wonder of a job well done.

He showed it to me. It was one of those clocks that allow you to keep track of any friends or family. But usually they were huge things with masses of machinery inside and a whole bag full of extra hands in case your family didn't fit the two point four children average. While thinking about it I couldn't help but wonder if the Weasleys had been counted when that figure was worked out. From what I'd heard, the Weasley family was big, red headed and very poor. But now it had branches that spread all over the world, was on number two of its Ministers of Magic and was keeping teachers on their toes all over the world.

But anyway, this clock was the size of a pocket watch. One of those old things that used to go in your pocket and you kept on a chain. It only had room for four hands and two of them already had names on. Asher and Kettle. Both were pointing at 'School'.

"Great," I said, "Though you could have warned me."

Gregory shrugged. I turned my attention back to the boots.

"Why do these have a pocket in?" I asked, showing them to Greg. "Look. It definitely isn't a rip because it's all sowed up. Pull down this flap and you can barely see it."

"I don't know," said Greg, "Maybe you'd want to keep something in it."

"Like what?"

"Well the pocket's only thin but it seems to go quite deep," Greg's eyes lit up, if that was possible. "Maybe a knife!"

I eyed him with slight suspicion. I've never been able to tell if he's joking or not. It's the one thing about him that worries me. I decided it would be better to sit on his fork holding hand side at lunch.

Christmas lunch was even more amazing then any other feast so far. There were those huge crackers we're not allowed at home because my Mum's parents disapprove of them and my Dad's Mum has heart problems. There was a short firework display by Dumbledore because he felt the mood needed to be 'lightened up'. Everyone sat together at a big table in the middle. I had Greg on one side and Robin on the other, with Greg glaring at Robin with all his might. I secretly thought _he_ was the reason the mood needed lightening.

I walked away from it full, glowing and with a fireman's helmet, a sickle I'd found in my Christmas pudding and a large stuffed dog that said 'I wuv you' when you squeezed it.

That afternoon Greg and I attempted to make a snowman out in the gardens. It ended up a foot high with my helmet on top of it for a while. It got knocked off when I dodged one of Greg's snowballs. When it started to get dark and we were both cold and wet through, we packed it in and went back inside.

"Can't wait till tomorrow," said Gregory.

I glanced sideways at him.

"Why?"

"Boxing day," he said, simply. "Bubble and squeak."

"Yay."

I was just about to launch in to a description of our traditional Boxing Day feast when I saw a shadow move ahead. Shadows don't move unless the light moves, so either there was someone or something moving ahead, or someone had moved the candle. Either way, I stopped in my tracks and stuck my arm out to stop Gregory. There was a slight rustle; a clatter of silver hitting marble and the light went out. Someone had knocked over the candle. I had just enough time to think '_Or somethi-_', when a horrible creature jumped out.

It was human like and dressed entirely in black. Its face was so pale it looked as though it had not only seen a ghost but had walked through it and recognised it as its Aunt Edna _who was still alive_. But those are the facts I remembered afterwards. All I was concerned with at the time was the teeth. They were bone white and about an inch longer than they were supposed to be. Somehow I managed to find time to ponder on the amount of toothpaste they had to use before Greg grabbed me and dragged me away.

Half being dragged, half running we escaped down to one of the lower corridors. We must have been near the kitchen, I could smell the food. But as I realised what the creature had been and what it was trying to do I didn't really want to think about food. I turned to Gregory, my heart beating a thousand times a minute.

"There are vampires in the castle."

Gregory stared at me, his eyes wide with horror and open in shock.

"What!"

"Vampires, Asher!" I cried, almost hysterically. "That last one tried to BITE ME!"

Gregory's eyes suddenly went narrow in the familiar look he reserved for glaring at Robin and anyone else he takes a dislike to. I myself had received several of those looks. I was extremely shocked to be receiving one at a time like this.

"I bet that Robin let them in," he growled.

I stared at him.

"Gregory!" I cried, "They're VAMPIRES! They don't need to be let IN! They can deal with that sort of thing themselves! Besides, if anyone let them in it was Jane Jordan. Personally I see her as the sort of person who-"

"They must be after the ring!" cried Gregory suddenly. "If we could follow them, we could get it before they do."

I found myself staring at him again. I was shocked that he would even consider going near them, let alone following them. I was also shocked to find myself making a mental note to ask Joseph for other words for 'Stare'.

"Yeah, yeah," I agreed, turning sarcastic in all my horror. "Because I always thought what my neck really needed was two little teeth marks. Get REAL!"

"Well I'm sorry for trying to make the best out of a bad situation!"

"You should be! I happen to like my blood level just as it is thank you very much!"

"There's no need to get all snarpy about it. It was just a suggestion! Don't you think I already knew about the dangers? I just thought you were brave enough to SAVE THE SCHOOL! But obviously I was wrong."

"Oh, don't you go there Gregory Weasley. I am far braver than you'll ever be. I come from a family that doesn't exclude people who stand up for themselves! What does snarpy mean?"

"I don't know. I just made it up."

"It's a good word. I like it."

"Good. But let me tell you this, I've heard a thousand tales about_ your_ family Lione Davies. I know _far_ more than you'd like the school to know. Miss goodie Gryffindor."

"If you know half of it you'd know that I have a few bullets under my belt. You'd better not cross me. And that includes putting me in life threatening danger!"

Gregory appeared to consider this.

"Like what?"

I star- _gaped_ at him.

"VAMPIRES!"

"Oh yeah," said Gregory, in the tones of someone remembering about a dentist appointment they'd forgotten about. "Completely forgot about what we were arguing about for a moment. How did it start?"

There was a single creak followed distinctly by a lack of footsteps. The vampire at the top of the nearby staircase had discovered the top stair that, this being a Wednesday, squeaked a B flat. The rest of the way it was making silence. Not a lack of noise, but a complete, overpowering silence that was worst than a trumpet being blown in your ear.

Instinctively Gregory and I moved together. Then, since in every situation, someone has to state the obvious, Greg said,

"They're coming."


	8. Chapter 8

**Yelling at Vampires (Singing about Lumberjacks)**

Gregory and I backed away until we hit something behind us. It was bumpy and very un-wall-like. My hands reached behind me, frantically feeling it in case it could be used as a kind of weapon. As my fingers investigated the object, it fell backwards, as did we.

We fell right through the hole and on to a granite floor behind. There was light here; it illuminated the face advancing on us. I waved my arm at the portrait.

"Close it! Close it! Close it! Close it! Close it! "

By the third 'Close it' Gregory had already shut it but I felt that the hazardousness of the situation demanded the other two.

My breathing began to slow down as my lungs took the advantage of a break in the panic attack I was suffering from. I turned my head and it resumed again.

Two brown eyes looked up at me. It was a house elf. One of the newly paid ones by the look of it. It was wearing a woolly jumper too large for it, a skirt designed for a two year old and a small bobble hat. Behind it was another wearing a pair of child's dungarees and a pair of blue 'Toto the magic elephant' shoes. There were a few more wearing pillowcases marked with the Hogwarts crest. The kitchen staff gazed up at us.

"House elves," breathed Gregory, sounding almost relieved to find a subject he knew about and could rely on. Unlike the existence of Vampires within the halls of Hogwarts. "Hogwarts has the largest population of them in the world. About thirty are paid. My Aunt Hermione fronted the movement. It was one of her most radical propositions. But when many House elves showed their support for it and demanding wages Aunt Hermione arranged for any company who take in at least five House elves on a paid, heath benefit and holiday package to receive subsidies. Dumbledore was a huge supporter and turned down the payment but took on as many House elves as wished to work. Now less than a hundred house elves are fully paid. A far cry from Aunt Hermione's dream of freeing them all from their brainwashed oppression, but at least those that want to 'Throw off their shackles' can."

"Well, someone's going to shine when we cover that in History of Magic."

"I only know it because of my Aunt and Uncle." said Gregory, "That's all. Besides-"

There was, on cue, a large bang on the portrait hole. Gregory already had a chair in his hand before I could react with my traditional,

"Block it! Block it! Block it! Block it! Block it!"

The house elves moved forward pushing a large table between them. It creaked as it scraped against the floor and bashed against the wall. It's strange how you remember little details.

"Kettle!" cried Gregory, "What do you know about Vampires?"

"Er..." I strained for the knowledge that got me ten out of ten on the Defence Against the Dark Arts test. "Er... They don't actually need your blood but a sugar inside it. Er... They can control your mind by looking in to your eyes. You know, hypnotism. Er... They... er... Ooh! They don't always have to turn you in to a vampire; they can put something in the blood. And they don't have to kill you either, they can just take a little of your blood as a snack."

"All very informative," Gregory sang as the crashes on the other side of the portrait grew louder. "But not helping!"

"Um..." I found myself wishing that I had Joseph's computer like memory. "They're...um... They're anal-retentive! If you throw poppy seeds at them they just have to stop and count every one. And they're pathologically meticulous; they hate not having everything in place. If you steal their left sock they'll forget all about you and spend the rest of eternity looking for it. Unless they see you steal it, then you're in big trouble. So it's best to steal it when they're asleep during the day. Sunlight! They can't stand it, it turns them to dust. That also happens if you stick a stake through their heart. And lemons! Get a lemon in their mouth and they can't stand it, stops them in their tracks. But that only works on the older vampires because the younger ones still have the human defences against it. So the best thing is to chop their heads off with an axe. But you'd better be careful not to spill any blood because if you do, poof! They're back. Then there's water... water... Holy water! Throw it at them and it burns. Some vampires have been reported to burst in to flames. They can't stand anything holy- Holy objects! Get a cross or a Star of David or anything religious and show it to them and they can't look straight at it. That's why Buffy wears a silver cross round her neck."

"Who's Buffy?"

By this time I was hopping up and down between my toes and my heels. I was actually _excited_.

"Who cares!"

"Come on you guys!" Gregory was addressing the house elves. "Lemons, poppy seeds. Any sharp knifes? While you're at it, does anyone know how to bless water?" He turned back to me. "I hope you're right."

"There's more!" I cried, getting ever so slightly carried away. "Vampire's have this amazingly strict hierarchy. They actually get to choose whether you're going to be an equal or a subordinate when they bite you-"

And that's when the table gave way.

"Distract them!" commanded Gregory before vanishing further in to the kitchen.

I watched the creatures climb through the hole and began to panickingly consider exactly how to draw their attention away from what I prayed Gregory was planning for an assault. Then it hit me, those vampires moved fast. One moment they were just entering the room, the next they were around me. It wasn't exactly a hit. I think one of them tried to grab my arm but I twisted away and got hit instead. I heard a rip and silently prayed it wasn't a ligament. I tried to remember anything else from class but it all required props, aside from the not looking in to their eyes bit. I was left to, as Gregory might say, 'wing' it. I jumped in to a space and flung my arms in to the air.

"I never wanted to be a hairdresser!" I declared, "I wanted to be a vampire! Swinging from balcony to balcony as I floated through the night! Biting my best girly by my side and I'd sing, sing, sing!

_I'm a vampire and I'm okay!_

_I work all night and I sleep all day!_

_She's a vampire and she's okay,_

_She works all night and she sleeps all day!_

_I find some men, to be my lunch,_

_I go to the lavatory!_

_On Wednesdays I go hunting,_

_And have buttered kids for tea!"_

Gregory struck. Soon there was a small heap of dust on the floor. Or at least up until the house elves moved forward with brooms to sweep it up. They didn't seem at all flustered, it made me wonder how often this sort of thing happened.

Gregory put the huge bread knife down and stared at me, or at least my shoulder. I followed his gaze.

"Awww!" I moaned, "They tore my robes."

I pulled my sleeve up at well as I could, ever so slightly relieved that it was only material I'd heard ripping. Gregory didn't stop staring.

"What's that?" he asked.

He was pointing at my shoulder again. I looked down.

"What's what?"

"On your shoulder."

"Cloth?"

"Under your sleeve," he reached forward and pulled at my sleeve, ripping out the seams and bringing it loose. It fell away in his hand revealing the mark there. "That black snake."

"Oh that," I said, "That's just a birthmark."

Gregory just gaped at me, apparently shocked that I would call it 'just' a birthmark.

"Why didn't you tell us that you had a black snake birthmark?" he demanded.

"Because you didn't ask!" I cried, snatching the sleeve from his hand "Sheesh, it's only a birthmark! Pigment in my skin that has arose in to an unfortunate shape. I know someone who has a huge brown mark across their cheek. It's a perfectly normal occurrence."

Gregory opened his mouth but I cut him off.

"Look, I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. I'm not the... the... heir of Slytherin or anything. I would know. My Grandfather made me memorise my entire family tree. So cool it."

"I still don't like it," Gregory muttered.

"Come on," I said, "Let's go find out what's happening."

We left the kitchen and made our way up the stairs to the main hall.

"I still wish we'd found out where the ring was." said Gregory.

As we reached the entrance hall we noticed the hubbub. The few students that had stayed for Christmas were gathered there along with a few staff. Robin noticed us and came over.

"Did you hear about the vampires?" he asked.

"We saw," said Gregory.

He was still holding the knife he'd used to chop the vampires' heads off. I quickly took it off him.

"They're saying a girl was attacked up near one of the towers," continued Robin.

"Who?" demanded Gregory. He was obviously not in the best of moods.

Robin paused "What'd you mean who? You mean which girl?"

"No," said Gregory, "Who says?"

"They do."

"Who are they?"

Robin looked bewildered.

"You know, _they_."

"No I-"

"Gregory." I warned.

Gregory glared at me. Robin gave me a look of desperation. I rolled my eyes to signify that he was to continue.

"Well they say," he gave Gregory a worried look but continued when he was certain Gregory wasn't going to interrupt. "They say she got bitten and died."

Over Robin's shoulder I spotted a girl turn and look our way. She was obviously a couple of years older than me, with black wavy hair and leaf green eyes. I pondered for a moment on what my hair would look like, like that, but stopped when I noticed her expression. It began with a 'here we go again' look but ended looking very attentive and slightly amused.

"Oh really?" I said, turning back to Robin and trying to look as interested as I could.

"Yeah," said Robin, warming to his subject. "All the blood sucked out of her."

"Oh no!"

"Attacked by seven vampires I hear."

The girl over Robin's shoulder appeared to reach a decision and moved forward.

"Two actually," she said, "And, despite what _they_ say, I feel fine. Maybe you should check your sources."

Robin jumped, stared at her and wandered away. Gregory, trying to look as non-suspicious as possible but failing miserably, glared after him and followed.

"Sorry about that," I apologised.

"Oh don't worry about it," said the girl, "been happening all night, but it wasn't seven last I heard. Next thing you know it'll be sixteen and a dog." I laughed.

"I'm Becky. Aren't you that girl who pulled the prank on Snape?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Does everyone know it was me?" I asked, "And please, call me Lee."

"Everyone but the teachers as far as I know, but I've never been one for rumour. Hey, what happened to you?"

"Run in with a couple of vampires."

"Ah! Ditto. Up near the north tower. You?"

"Down by the kitchens," I told her, "But we cut their heads off."

"I got saved by a ton of teachers with stakes," said Becky, "I think they were after Laura Potter, the vampires I mean, not the teachers."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well when one of them grabbed me they hissed '_Potter_'. If you ask me something is definitely up."

"But Laura didn't stay over the holidays."

"I wouldn't know about that," said Becky vaguely. "But you've got to admit, in the dark we both do look a lot like her."

"How?"

"Well not a lot," Becky admitted, "But slightly. Black hair, green eyes. People say I look young for my age."

"I wouldn't."

"If I were you I'd watch out for myself. I mean, you're the one who's in her class, aren't you?"

She shrugged and walked away. I gaped after her. Things were very weird.

Then Professor McGonagall came over and made things even weirder.

"Miss Davies," she said, "The Headmaster and I believe that it would be safer for you to stay in a different dormitory tonight."

My worry turned to fascination as I considered what she was suggesting.

"Do I get to go in to another house's common room?"

Possibilities of pranks swam in front of my eyes. If I could get hold of another house's password, I could do anything.

"No," said Professor McGonagall, firmly. "We can't do that."

"But all the other Gryffindors are boys!"

"She can stay in our dorm." Gregory had appeared and was looking a little too eager for my pleasure. "I don't mind."

I looked desperately up at the professor.

"We may have to consider it-"

"Is this to do with Laura?" I interrupted.

McGonagall paused; I'd obviously struck gold.

"Because if they didn't find her this time then, makes you think they're going to come back? Come on, Ma'am, I'll be fine. I could keep a knife by my bed side if you think I'm in _that_ much danger."

"I really don't think-"

"All right, no knife. But a bunch of garlic, and some stakes. I know how to defend myself against Vampires, Ma'am, just ask Professor Delacour!"

McGonagall regarded me with a steady gaze.

"All right," she considered, "But don't wander off anywhere without an escort and you're taking some garlic up with you."

I breathed, thankfully.

"Thank you Ma'am."

**A/N: **Lots of info on house elves and Hermione I thought you might be interested in.

And I'd better say that most of the things I got on vampires are from 'Carpe Jugulum' by Terry Pratchett. Did I say most? It's an excellent book that I suggest you read.

The Lumberjack song converted in to Vampire song was assisted by Gatty.


	9. Chapter 9

**Screaming, lots of screaming**

That night I couldn't sleep. It wasn't that I was scared, I wasn't scared. Maybe anxious or nervous, but not scared. Certainly not terrified. I was worried. Well, wouldn't you be if you had just been attacked by vampires solely because of the colour of your hair?. Gregory solemnly handing me a sharp pencil before bed hadn't helped.

I thought I heard something. I sat bolt straight and my hand groped for the pencil. I pointed it at the room at large but there was nothing there. Just the big empty room and the mirror. The mirror. I slipped out of bed and padded over to it. I watched as my reflection held out its hand out as I touched the mirror. There was nothing wrong with it, a perfectly ordinary mirror. It didn't even compliment you like the ones we have at home. I didn't miss the one at home, it was rather disconcerting to be brushing your teeth and having the mirror constantly pointing out the bits that you missed. This mirror was perfectly ordinary and, in a place like Hogwarts, _that_ was odd.

That night, there was something about it that bothered me. For some reason I couldn't get a phrase I'd once read in a book out of my head. A Witch should never get caught between two mirrors. I had no idea why I kept thinking that; there was only one mirror.

As I stared at it, I couldn't help noticing a shadow behind the mirror. I don't think I would have noticed it if I wasn't so highly strung that night. It may have only been a figment of my imagination. It may have been something I subconsciously made up afterwards to explain what I did next. I grabbed my wand and pointed it at the mirror.

"_Alohomora!_"

A segment of the mirror swung forwards. Behind it was a musty corridor. Some forgotten thing that just screamed secret lair. I took a few steps forward, it echoed. I gasped and fled back in to my room, then realised how silly that was and walked confidently back out in to the corridor. It was completely empty.

This shouldn't have been happening. Everyone knows that girls that go through mirrors come out in wonderful fairylands. Then again, they also talk to Mr Bluebird and once you're there, there's nothing for it but the chainsaw.

I considered going back to get Gregory but thought against it. I was a strong, confident almost-teenager; I could handle anything this dank place threw at me.

Even now I realise how dumb I was back then.

I wandered down the corridor, looking around at the soggy decor. This place was crumbling away. No wonder it had been boarded up. Something hit home and I realised how stupid I'd been. It was just an old corridor, nothing mysterious or romantic. It was been boarded up and unused for so long that it had been forgotten. They'd built the girl's dormitory right next to it and put a mirror over a wall that just happened to contain a door. Then I'd opened it with my spell and voila, there I was.

I was just about to turn and leave when something caught my eye. There was movement in a room just off the corridor. There was a doorway there that, unlike the others, wasn't boarded up. It fact it was wide open and there was a movement inside. I edged my way near it. As I approached I could hear a high-pitched squeaking inside. I peered round the doorway. The room seemed to be completely empty. Inside my head an argument raged. One side of me was saying I was just being silly. I was highly strung. Who wouldn't be when they'd just been attacked by vampires that very day? The other side, that side that always tried to make you feel like an idiot. The side that always tells you your plans won't work and that they'll end in destruction. That side was still protesting that something was seriously up and, just to stay in character I felt, that I was too wimp to find it out. I stepped straight in to the room mostly to prove it wrong but ended up proving it right.

As soon as I was fully in the room I was surrounded by black bats, swooping all around me, turning the already dark air, pitch lack. All I could hear were wings flapping and bats squeaking, all I could see were beady black eyes and unusually bright white teeth. I screeched and tried to hit the ugly creatures away but they closed it, completely surrounding me, their wings brushing off my skin. I opened my mouth to scream but couldn't. I was too scared.

For coming towards me, through the cloud of bats was a figure dressed in a long black cloak. The bats simply removed themselves from the space he was moving in. It was like he had a bat free shield around him while the horrible rodents were trying to batter me to death.

Everything was happening at once. I thought, for a moment, I heard a child scream. The figure raised his arm towards me. The bats scattered and I ran. I turned, ran out the room, ran down the corridor, ran in to my dormitory and just kept going. I ran up the stairs, in to the common room and up the tower leading to the boys' dormitories. I pushed open the door to the First-year boy's room and only then did I stop. Gregory's four-poster bed was the only one with the curtains drawn. I ran over to it and pulled back the curtains. Gregory had already been woken up by my entrance and was sitting upright in bed. He took one look at my face and his anger turned to concern.

"Kettle," he said, "What's wrong?"

I was aware that I was breathing very fast.

"Bats," I gasped, "Scream."

"Was it the vampires?"

I shrugged and promptly fainted.

Lucy gaped at me.

"I don't believe it!" she cried.

I stared at her.

"_You_ don't believe it!" I exclaimed. "I was there and I don't believe it."

"It was so scary," Gregory put in.

I turned to stare at him.

"You weren't there."

He blushed.

"I mean when you came in," he said hurriedly. "She was white as a sheet. Gasping for breath as if she'd been drowned. Then she fainted, just like that. Collapsed on the floor. I didn't know what to do."

It was the first day of the new term. I was explaining to Lucy and Joseph what happened on Christmas night.

"It was probably a vampire," concluded Joseph in a way that said 'probably' was not really on the agenda.

I nodded and absentmindedly scratched my shoulder. Gregory watched me cautiously. He was the only one who knew about my birthmark. I hadn't told the others just in case they freaked out.

I could predict their reactions perfectly. Lucy would gasp then start talking in a squeaky voice about how that meant I was related to Voldemort or Slytherin or someone. Then, while I tried to calm her down, she'd be able to convince me, anyone who was listening, five dogs (who'd be the only ones who could hear her at this point) and a passing bird that she was right.

If I told Joseph he would consider it for a while then begin telling me basically the same as Lucy. Except not as hysterically or well explained. But he would, being much smarter than Air Jet, be slowly edging away as he said it.

It was bad enough Gregory giving me odd looks; I didn't need my other friends avoiding me. Ever since she'd got back, Laura had been giving me apologetic looks. I guessed she'd heard about what happened.

I was fed up. I was fed up of people asking me about the vampire event (The one near the kitchens, no one knew about the hidden corridor), teachers giving me encouraging looks and the girls in my dorm kept stopping talking when I walked in the room. Everyone was acting as if something might happen to me any moment. I wanted to do something. Something that would take their minds put me for just a minute. That's all I needed!

"Guys," I said, "Now we know where the kitchens are, a whole new range of excellent pranks are at our finger tips. I have an idea."

It was quarter to six the next evening. Dinner had been made and was being prepared to be sent up to the great hall. Joseph, Gregory, Lucy and I crept down to the kitchens. I put my back to the painting and tried to recreate what I did on Christmas day. As the picture gave way I jumped up.

"You tickled the pear," Joseph told me.

I nodded my thanks. As we entered the kitchens the house-elves looked up at us.

"Where's tonight's dinner?" Lucy asked politely.

The house-elves pointed over at five large tables, set up exactly in the same way as the tables in the great hall above. They were already laden with food, ready to be sent up on command.

I nodded at Gregory, he nodded back. I nodded at Lucy, she also nodded. Finally I nodded at Joseph, he nodded back; we were ready.

I jumped forward and thrust my arms out in a way reminiscent of the way I did it on Christmas with the Vampires.

"I never wanted to be a student!" I declared, "I wanted to be a house-elf!"

All the house-elves stared at us, probably out of shock that I, a witch, actually _wanted_ to be a house-elf. Lucy crept away.

"Leaping from stair to stair," I continued, loudly as I could. "As I polish the suits of Armour. With my best dishcloth by my side, I'd sing, sing, sing!

_I'm a house-elf and I'm okay,_

_I work all night and I work all day!"_

Joseph and Gregory came in with a deep bass chorus.

_"She's a house-elf and she's okay_

_She works all night and she works all day!"_

_"I stoke the fires,_

_I cook their Lunch,_

_I clean the lavatories!_

_On Wednesdays I go shopping,_

_And cook buttered scones for tea!"_

_"She stokes the fires,_

_She cooks their Lunch,_

_She cleans the Lavatories!_

_On Wednesdays she goes shopping,_

_And cooks buttered scones for tea!_

_She's a house-elf and she's okay!"_

Lucy crept back over and nodded at me. I nodded at Gregory and Joseph. They quickly turned the last line in to a rall.

_"She works all night and she works allllllllllllll daaaaaaaaaaaaay!"_

"Thank you kitchens!" finished Gregory before we dived out. "You rock!"

We ran up to the Great Hall, giggling all the way.

"Why'd we have to put it in ours as well?" Lucy asked.

"Because if we were the only ones in the entire hall this not happening too," stated Joseph, "We might as well paint a huge, flashing sign above our heads saying 'We pranked you all, please beat us up.'"

"Nicely put," I said.

We were going to put it in everyone's but ours until Joseph pointed that little tit-bit out for me.

"Well spotted Joey."

"Joseph."

"Whatever," I said, scratching my shoulder again. "Same difference."

Joseph frowned. "You keep scratching that shoulder," he said suspiciously. "Is there something wrong with it?"

I was impressed; Joseph was smarter than I had given him credit for.

"Did one of the vampire bats bite you!"

But Lucy was just as apt at jumping to conclusions. I saw Gregory sigh and shake his head.

"No," I said, trying to sound casual. "Must be a mosquito bite."

Lucy relaxed. "Maybe you should go to the Hospital wing to get a cream of some sort?" she suggested.

"Nah," I said, "Best to ignore it."

We continued our assent for a while in silence.

"Strange," mused Joseph as we approached the doors of the Great Hall. "It's not as if I've noticed any mosquitoes flying about."

Dinner was a lot of fun. The Corsairs and I just tucked in, avoiding talking to each other or meeting anybody's eye. The first sounds came from the Hufflepuff table.

"What's going on!" someone squeaked.

And I mean actually squeaked. Have you ever sped up a piece of music some how and listened to a serious, depressing song in a way that made the artists sound like they were on pep pills? Or inhaled helium giving you that extraordinarily high-pitched voice? It was exactly like that.

Soon the hall was full of squeaks. Lucy was the first to erupt in to a spasm of giggles, Joseph was grinning like anything and Gregory was trying to annoy everyone around him so they would burst out at him to shut up, a lot funnier when the person is under a squeaky speaking spell. I smiled smugly at everybody then started to conduct myself in a truly appropriate TV theme tune.

_"We're the Chipmunks!"_

Across the table, Laura Potter joined in.

_"Alvin, Simon, Theodore! Doo, doo, doo doo doo doo! Doo doo doo-doo doo doo!"_

Even when I left, after the main bulk had rushed off to find out what happened and when the potion had worn off, there was still a lot of laughter. I reckoned it was a prank that would go down in history. For centuries afterwards students would look at the wall of pranksters and go,

"Gregory Weasley, Lione Davies, Joseph Bower and Lucy Malfoy. Weren't they those pranksters that pulled that huge squeaky voice prank on the entire school centuries ago?"

"Yeah! We'll never be able to match up to that!"

Needless to say I left the hall with rather a big head. Lucy was waiting for me outside.

"What's up with you, Kettle?" she asked.

"What'd you mean?" I queried, absent-mindedly scratching my birthmark. Lucy didn't appear to notice.

"You don't usually enact revenge," she commented.

I laughed. "You've been reading too many Gothic murder stories," I said, "And besides, pranking is all about revenge."

Lucy couldn't have looked more shocked if I had told her that her brother was, in reality, a large purple hamster that had found a way to turn it's self in to a human being.

"No," she cried, "It isn't. You've always said that, Lee. Sometimes it's about giving people what they deserve. Reaping what they sow. Taste of their own medicine, that sort of thing. But never revenge. It's all a bit of fun you said. Anyone who takes it seriously doesn't have a very good sense of humour and will probably end up lonely and miserable anyway. That's exactly what you said, I checked with Joseph."

I turned on her. I actually turned on the poor girl. Shorter than me, more venerable than me and I turned on her.

"Do you listen to everything I say?" I demanded.

I swear I saw tears prick in her eyes. Her face was an expression of anger and betrayal. But there was a hint of morbid curiosity. She stepped closer to me, screwing up her eyes as if she was trying to see something more clearly. I realised she was examining my face.

"What?"

"Something's different about you," Lucy said, "And not just your attitude. Your eyes. There's something seriously up with your eyes."

I sighed. "They were always that pale," I said, "It's not my fault."

Lucy suddenly looked panicked. She started to back away.

"Y...y...yeah," she stuttered, "Of course. I've got to... I'm just... I gotta go. See you in the common room Lee."

She scarpered.

**A/N:** The house-elf song this time was created almost entirely by Gatty. Many thanks to her and to the Monty Python boys.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Sorry for the longer than normal gap. I'm trying to update quickly, honestly. Anyhoo, checked my files and this is actually almost finished! Very short… So what do you guys think about a sequel? Please review! And thankies to those who review already!

**Meet the Grandparents**

I was still pondering over her reaction that night when Joseph reminded me that we had Transfiguration homework. I sighed and got it out. I stared at it for a while, winced, closed my eyes, opened them and winced again because it hadn't vanished in to thin air. Thus living out the trial of every student who doesn't want to do a particularly hard article of homework.

Except at the fourth go it actually did disappear. Then I heard the scrambling behind my chair. I sighed and turned the hamster into a plush toy before it ran away again. Then I just sat there, staring at it. Joseph glanced up at me, as did his yet unchanged hamster.

"I hear Lucy confronted you," he said casually.

"Yeah," I murmured.

"Good for her," said Joseph, "It took her a lot of courage to do that. Kept on coming to me to rehearse her lines. Strange, she's never had trouble with words before. Always been better than me anyway."

"Yeah," I jumped as Joseph's head appeared directly in my line of vision. He was examining my face curiously.

"You know she's right," he said, "There's something seriously up with your eyes."

"Is that your expert opinion?"

Joseph considered this.

"Yes, actually."

I sighed.

"You know," I said, "I think she's right. I snapped at her, Starsy! She's so young, and I snapped at her."

"She's five months older than you, Kettle."

"I know!" I cried, "But you know what she's like. She acts way younger than she is." I sighed again and scratched my shoulder.

"I'd stop scratching that shoulder if I were you," Joseph said, "People will think you've got eczema or something."

"But you wouldn't."

Joseph paused.

"No."

"Then what do you think?"

"I think something happened on that evening," he said, "I don't think you haven't told us something, just that there's something else happening here. I also think that we don't want to know what it is or go on any strange mission to discover it, just that we want it to stop. I also think that we should find more out about this ring."

I did a double take.

"The ring! No one's even mentioned the ring!"

"Gregory did. He reckoned that the Vampires were after it and I for one wouldn't mind getting my hands on it."

I was shocked.

"You would!"

"Yeah," said Joseph, apparently shocked that I was shocked. "Who wouldn't?"

As the spring term progressed, the work pile increased. We didn't have very much time to check the library for anything about the Ring. We couldn't find it anywhere. Gregory checked and double-checked all his chocolate frog cards a thousand times on the basis that Harry Potter once found the information about the Philosopher's Stone on one. At which point I hit Asher over the head with his 'Harry Potter' card and pointed out that we weren't Harry Potter and his friends.

Gregory sighed wistfully and said, "Yeah, we'll _never_ end up on a chocolate frog card!"

He then began to stare in to space and was completely out of it for several minutes. By which time we, being pranksters of course, had drawn an 'Insert brain here' sign on his forehead.

By the time the Easter Holidays swung around we knew nothing more than we did at the beginning of term and Gregory was in the habit of putting on a hat before drifting off to fantasy land.

After the excitement of Christmas, Lucy and Joseph decided to stay this time but I had to go home. I always visited my Mum's parents over Easter. There weren't as nice as my Dad's parents but they were really rich, lived in a giant mansion and always gave me lots of presents when I visited. Sometimes I thought they were trying to bribe me in to something.

People always asked why we didn't live the high life if the Lazaro family were so upper class. The reason was they were very old fashioned and all the money and estates would go to my Mum's brother; my Uncle Martin. Since my Mum had married they didn't see her as their problem anymore. But they still subjected me to two weeks of their charm every year.

As I approached Lazaro Manor, my Grandmother rushed out to greet me. It's strange that. My Dad's parents are happy to be called anything from Grandma to Pappy. But, although they'd never said anything on the subject, there was thing about my Mum's parents that said that 'Granny' was completely out of the question.

My Grandmother hurried over to me.

"Lione! Darling!"

She kissed me once on each cheek.

"How are you dear?"

She asked me that every time I saw her. I think I could have said 'Fine, except for the giant elephant on my head, of course' and got away with it. She was one of _those_ Grandmothers.

"Peachy," I replied.

"Come in dear, come in."

She led me in to the house, I looked around. I used to think Lazaro Manor was huge but then I went to Hogwarts. My Grandparents' house was tiny in comparison. My Grandmother knelt down in front of me and brushed all the non-existent hairs off my top.

"Come on, Lione," she said, "Lets get you upstairs and changed."

I made my way up to my room and opened the closet. I wasn't surprised. Rule Number One of Lazaro Manor, all girls must wear dresses. True, they were really nice, not the usual flowery thing my Dad's Mum was always insisting I wore, but real decent dresses. It was the pointlessness of it. My Grandparents had never fully asserted themselves in the twenty-first century. Come to think of it, they never really asserted themselves in the twentieth century. Why were trousers on a girl so immoral to them? My Mum used to tell me that she would wear leggings to dinner, just to annoy them. I always swore I would do that some day, just to see their reaction.

I selected a pale blue dress and went to see my Grandfather in his study.

"Lione!" he cried as I entered. "So good to see you!"

"Hello Grandfather," I said.

The old man gave me a head to toe inspection. He always did this. It wasn't a friendly inspection leading up to statements like 'My have you grown' and 'I love your hair short!' and 'Whatever did you do to your arm?', the sort of things I got from my other Granddad. This was a proper military inspection. And he wasn't always pleased. Sometimes he was, but sometimes he would have a 'She'll do' expression on his face. Or worse, he'll look downright disappointed in me. But this time he looked oddly pleased – I wasn't sure whether that was the worst of all.

"How are you enjoying Hogwarts?"

Okay, it was only a teeny tiny thing but I couldn't help but notice the subtlety of his question. How are you enjoying Hogwarts. Not _are_ you enjoying Hogwarts but _how_. Like I'm not allowed to not enjoy it.

"Fine, sir." It's funny how the sir always slips out.

"I hear you were sorted in to Gryffindor."

"Yes, sir."

"An awful shame. Your Grandmother and I were hoping you'd be a Slytherin. Gryffindor is such a disappointment."

I felt myself blush.

"It was Mother's house." I pointed out.

"Hmm," he said, "Well, we can't have everything. At least not yet anyway, Ha ha!"

"Ha ha."

A bell rang out.

"Ah!" said my Grandfather, standing up. "That'll be dinner."

As we went downstairs for dinner I couldn't help thinking something:

_And Lucy thinks_ her _family is weird_.

The worst two weeks of my life followed. Every day I opened my closet with the exact same prayer but every day there were dresses. My Jeans and 3/4 length trousers were just as missing as the day before, maybe even more so.

There were fancy dinners, big meetings with my Grandfather's mates and 'cosy' nights in which were as uncomfortable as Hell. Hell was a good word for it. It wasn't that I didn't love them, of course I did. I just wished they'd be more... _modern_!

My Grandmother took it in to her head to teach me something every young lady should know. Sewing. This meant long drawn afternoons in the library, watching my grandmother sew amazing tapestries while my efforts turned in to some kind of Muppet. It was supposed to be a square saying 'God bless this mess'. My Grandmother could sew amazing, large dogs off the top of her head. I had to have a key. It was colour coded. It was cross-stitch. And it _still_ went wrong.

I absolutely detested needles. I mean, they're sharp! Grandmother got to do it with her wand but I had to learn with sharp pointy things that drew blood. If she was trying to get a point through to me then she succeeded. Sewing hurt.

One particular afternoon I decided to ask my Grandmother something that had been bugging me.

"Grandmother," I started, "You know my snake mark? The one on my shoulder?"

"Of course I know about it," she said, threading a needle. Another thing that had always been beyond me. How come a perfectly ordinary, smooth piece of thread always frays the moment it comes within an inch of a needle? Does it happen to everyone or was it just a conspiracy against _me_? Thread hates me. But anyhoo.

"Your mother was in a right state. Told us straight away. Well not straight away, we had to calm her down. Panic, panic, panic."

"Well, wouldn't you?" I said, remembering Gregory's reaction when he saw it.

"Of course not," she said, "A Lazaro never panics. It's very important to keep a clear mind when one is dealing with sort of thing. Poor girl told us everything eventually. But she was in a right state."

"Weren't you there?"

"Goodness me, no! We were at a Gala."

"Your own daughter was giving birth to her first child and you weren't there!"

"What? Of course we were. I was talking about Halloween, when you were two. Your parents came home to find baby-sitter dead and you in the main room, bawling your eyes out. That was when you got that mark. Of course that was back when you lived in a two-bedroom in Godric's Hollow. They've closed the place off now. Say it's cursed. Silly. Just because two people have unfortunate accidents doesn't mean they should destroy a whole block of houses. Close your mouth, dear."

I hadn't realised it had been hanging open. I quickly closed it.

"You mean it's not a birth mark?"

She laughed.

"Goodness me no," she said, "Only people like Salazar Slytherin have snake birthmarks. Yours was given to you. No one really knows how. Except probably Dumbledore, dreadful man, isn't he?"

I decided to go for something else. Partly because it was also bugging me but mostly because the conversation was beginning to freak me out and I wanted to change the subject.

"Grandmother," I ventured, "Do you know anything about Vampires?"

She laughed again.

"You're the one who passed the subject at school," Her face suddenly took on a sinister look. "You did pass it?"

"Full marks."

Her face softened again. "Good."

"What about the Gravity ring?" I persisted, "What about that?"

"It's a funny thing," My Grandmother commented in the drifty off way that grandparents always do when you're asking them about something important. "But that's exactly what your mother wanted to know when you got that mark. Something about the baby-sitter's head being smacked against a wall with no signs of struggle." She waved her hand vaguely around the library. "Spent hours in here trying to dig something out. Came to the point where that awful father of yours-" _Yeah, real subtle Grandma. You don't like him, we all know_. "-Had to come and collect her. But he brought you so that was all right. You were such a sweetie then."

"Grandmother!" I moaned. Why couldn't she just get on with it? Were all Grandmothers like that?

"Lione!" she snapped, "Manners!"

I breathed.

"Sorry Grandmother," I apologised, "But it's kind of important. Did Mother find a book?"

She glanced at me suspiciously, didn't seem to find anything wrong and said,

"Yes actually."

She pointed at the book case across the room. "That case, top shelf, on the left." she added predicting my next questions. "Use the ladder dear! A lady never climbs on tables and chairs."

I, carefully since my Grandmother was watching me like a cat watches it's prey (I have to say that those words entering my mind at the time _did_ freak me out a little), placed my sewing down and dragged the sliding ladder along to the bookcase. It came to me that my Grandmother could have helped by simply floating the book down I seemed to be undergoing some sort of test. I found myself hoping I'd passed.

I pulled the book off its shelf and stared at it. It had a very fancy leather cover and no title. It was scuffed here and there and smelled of fire. I recognised the marks on the cover and immediately knew why. Somebody had tried to burn this book but _Reparo_had been performed. Someone had wanted this book destroyed and my Grandparents had kept it. I think that my anxiety was not amiss.

I opened it and began flicking through the pages. A phrase caught my eye 'The ring of Gravity'. I was just about to read the page when my Grandmother's voice floated up.

"A Lady reads on a chair, not up a ladder."

I pocketed the book and descended the ladder. I'd read it later.

Back at Hogwarts I was far too excited to stand still. I'd copied half of the book in to a notepad so I could bring it with me and I couldn't wait to tell the guys what I'd found. I belted straight up to the Gryffindor common room as soon as I arrived. Lucy was playing Gregory at chess in a corner and Joseph was watching. I ran straight over to them and had to grab Joseph to stop myself running straight in to the fire. The three of them looked at me, concerned. I rested for a moment to catch my breath, still hanging on to Joseph's shoulder.

"Lione!" Lucy exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

I stared straight at her and almost laughed with excitement.

"I know where the ring is!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Planning**

"It was right there, in that book," I explained. "Right under my nose for two whole weeks and I didn't know. I can't believe it! All that time in sewing hell and-"

"Slow down Lio," said Gregory, "You're turning in to Lucy. Just tell us. Where is the ring?"

"Not _where_," I said, sitting down and showing them the note pad containing several copied pages from the book. "When. When the sun and the moon are in particular place in correlation to the earth."

"What?" said Joseph, "Like a solar eclipse?"

"You'd think that," I said, "Wouldn't you? But no. It's got to be like this."

I showed a sketch to Joseph. He stared at it for a while, his face a fit of concentration. Suddenly a light turned on and he told us to "Hang on" while he ran upstairs to fetch something from his room. He came back down with a book on astronomy. He flicked through it till he found a page and laid it open on his lap.

"I don't get it," he said, "It's just a random occurrence that happens every twenty years or so. There's no myth put to it."

"Oh yes there is," I said, "Every time this happens the gravity ring receives its power. It recharges in other words. But, and this is the important bit, if there is no ring, it's been destroyed, a new one will appear on the place where the original was forded. Three guesses as to where that is?"

"The old corridor behind the mirror," Lucy stated.

She didn't need to; we were all thinking the same thing. But she wouldn't be Air Jet is if she didn't state the obvious.

"So when's the next time period?" Gregory asked.

"June first," said Joseph, "The day after the exams."

"That's convenient," added Lucy, cheerfully.

We tried to plan the night when we would get the ring as much as we could but revision got in the way. The ingredients to a forgetfulness potion, the spell to turn a cockerel in to a weathercock, the different ways of detecting dark magic in your immediate vicinity, we had to learn them all. I could never stand revising. Trying to remember all the words and facts. Urgh! Joseph was an avid reviser. He can remember everything. We tested him saying that 'It would help us revise' and managed to get him to confess that he couldn't stand Robert and that he was a dim wad before he caught on to Lucy's 'Say a random scientific sounding thing then ask a personal question' technique.

As it turned out the revision was worse than the exams. The horror stories of long hours slaving over miles of parchment were only true for a few of the subjects. We had practical exams as well. Potions was, quite naturally, making a potion while Professor Snape breathed down our necks. For transfiguration we had to turn a teapot in to a tortoise. We had to comfort Joseph afterwards while he had a panic attack over his teapot turning in to a tortoise mid air after he accidentally made it float up beforehand. We reassured him that he must have at least got more than Gregory. Asher's Tortoise had a handle on its back.

History of magic was the worst, listing down all the facts we knew about the ancient wizards that no one really remembered. It was the longest too at two hours. But they weren't all that bad. Plus it was nice to have our Astronomy exam (which Joseph would not stop talking about for two hours afterwards) in the afternoon instead of having to get up in the middle of the night for it.

As June first loomed ahead our evenings were spent with books open in front of us but with no actual reading. We were plotting the night when we would go through the mirror.

Now I say that I completely agree with a comment Joseph made at the time. That it sounds like something straight out of Narnia and sooner or later we'd start talking to 'Mr Bluebird' and then the only thing for it would be the chainsaw. Which then sparked off a very bizarre conversation about fairy tales and ended up in as a discussion about which fairy tale creature we'd most like to sue and why. Goldilocks was the clear winner in case you're interested. Look at her Breaking and entering, theft, destruction of property, starvation of animals. The list goes on. But I'm getting a little sidetracked here aren't I?

We were planning the night when we'd go to the forgotten corridor to finally get the Gravity Ring. Gregory was already planning all the things he was going to do with it. To be honest I had a few pranks in mind as well. Specifically one involving, Snape, a Russian hamster and a forty-watt light bulb.

The main problem with the plan was getting the boys through without Laura and Anya noticing. Gregory was all for chloroform but we told him to shut up. Or rather Joseph said "I'd like to chloroform you" which was the basic equivalent. We opted for a signal system. After having a long conversation about whom we would most like to use chloroform on, of course. We decided that instead of setting a time Lucy and I would stay awake and wait for Laura and Anya to fall asleep. Then send a signal to Asher and Starsy that it was all clear to come in.

The whole week went smooth except the constant interruption of our studies and plans by our own bizarre ideas. And the incident.

It was two days till the day we were due to go through the mirror, or Operation Scorpion as Gregory had taken to calling it. It was just after our Charms exam. We had to go in individually and alphabetically. The Gryffindors were the last house to take the test. Joseph had waited after his test but had gone back with Anya so I went back to the common room alone. I was just going down a staircase when it decided to move of its own accord while I was halfway down. I decided to go down to the new bottom of it and decide what to do from then on. It was just another corridor, nothing special. I could tell I hadn't been down there before because I didn't recognise the pictures. There wasn't a single portrait, just landscapes and animals. As I wandered down the corridor a figure appeared round a corner. It was Jane Jordan.

"What are you doing down here Davies?"

"The staircase changed," I told her, "You'd think after a year in this place I'd have got used to it."

"Maybe that's because you don't belong here," Jane suggested.

I put my hands on my hips. "Let me guess. Another person who's found out about the Lazaro side. I'm here, Jane, get over it."

"Don't you Jane me," she growled.

"Why not? That's your name, isn't it? Geez, you used to be nice."

"That was until you decided to hang around with that Malfoy... thing."

"Don't you dare insult Lucy!"

Jane smirked. Not smiled, smirked. There's no other word for it really.

"I didn't mention Lucy at all."

"But you-"

"Oh please, Lione. You fell for the oldest joke in the book. I'd expect more from you. Your grandfather _was_ a Death Eater."

"He was not!" I snapped, "And don't you dare go around spreading lies about my family."

"Oh wake up and smell the daisies girl. I don't care about your family. Why should I? I'll have you know that my family's always been loyal. Unlike that little friend of yours."

I almost smiled as I realised it. It was so simple! Why didn't I see it before?

"So that's what all this is about. You're jealous! You're jealous because Lucy got in to Gryffindor and you didn't."

"Oh please! Everyone knows Slytherin is the better house. We have won the Quidditch cup three years in a row and we're gonna win it this year."

"Life's not about Quidditch cups, Jane. And you know that."

"I don't like you, Lione. And I don't trust you either. You or your little gang. I don't want to know what you're doing; I just want to stop it. Or I'm going to stop you myself. Because, unlike your family, I have friends who aren't locked up in Azkaban."

"What makes you think I'm up to anything?" I asked, clenching my teeth in an effort to let the Azkaban comment slide.

"The Vamp attacks. Laura Potter is still my friend. And if any evil guys of _any_ sort come after her, I'll come after you. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good."

Jane started to turn away.

"Oh. And Jane?"

Jane turned. "Yes?"

"Congratulations on Slytherin. Your parents must have been so proud."

Jane's mouth dropped open in shock and I couldn't help but notice a flicker of pain cross her face. She walked closer and glared me in the face, looking hurt. Suddenly, curiosity coated her features.

"Lione," she said, "Is it me, or are your eyes darker than usual."

I got to a mirror as soon as I could and found she was right. My eyes were ivy green. The same green as my Grandmother's. Italian green she called it because she got it from her Italian side. They were the exact shade green I'd always wished they'd been. Dark rather than pale. I remembered a conversation I'd had with my mother one day after I'd been teased at school...

_I slammed the door as I came in._

_"Mum!"_

_My mum poked her head round the side of the living room door._

_"What is it Lee?"_

_"Mum," I said, "Can I poke my eyes out?"_

_My Mum laughed. "Why ever would you want to do a silly thing like that?"_

_"Or at least get contacts," I walked over to a nearby window and pulled my lids apart to stare at my eyes. "Please Mum."_

_"Aren't you a little young to be thinking about things like that?" said my Mum, "Lione, is something wrong?"_

_I spun around. "Of course something's wrong! My eyes are _white_!"_

_"They're not white, they're green. An absolutely gorgeous shade of green, might I add."_

_"Don't lie."_

_"Why would I lie?"_

_"Because you're a Mum and Mum's lie to make their daughters feel better."_

_My mum laughed again. "And you, are too smart for your own good. Honestly, Lee. I love your eyes. They echo."_

They echo. My Mum said they echoed and that always stuck with me. They didn't echo any more. They were as blank as a drawing coloured in with crayon. You know, when you rub it in really hard so when it's finished it's really smooth to touch and there's not a single gap of white left. They were just blank ivy, Italian green.

And it scared me.

I stamped my way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Gregory got half way through saying "Where'd you get to" before I started shouting. I can't remember how many people were there at the time. I only hope that there weren't very many who still thought me sane.

"Why didn't you tell me my eyes were green!" I demanded.

Gregory gave me a frightened look. "I thought you knew."

"Not pale green!" I cried, "Italian green!"

Gregory and Lucy looked at Joseph for help. Joseph didn't notice. He was too busy giving me a confused look. By that time I was starting to get used to them.

"Italian green?" he queried.

"Ivy green," I corrected, "The green of ivy."

"Well we didn't know if this was unusual or if it was just something that should happen. After all we'd-"

I flopped down in to a chair and put my head in my hands.

"That was what the odd looks were about," I said, "Wasn't it?"

There was a pause.

"Yes."

"I don't know what's going on guys."

Lucy leaned forward conspiratorially. "Do you think it might have something to do with the ring?" she asked in a stage whisper.

"No," I replied, "I've never been near they thing. It doesn't even exist yet!"

"But it will," Joseph reminded us, "And we've got to be prepared for it. Have we sorted out our secret knock yet?"

"I thought it was going to be an owl hoot," said Lucy.

"Does it matter what kind of knock it is?" I asked, ignoring Lucy.

"You can't owl whistle round here," said Gregory, ignoring me. "There are too many real owls. How would you tell the difference between you and the real creatures?"

"Of course it does! How else will we tell the difference between the secret knock and Anya falling over and knocking her bed in to the wall?"

"Honestly Gregory, you'll be able to tell the difference. Have you ever heard Lucy's owl impression? A goose could tell the difference between her and a real owl. A _deaf_ goose."

"I doubt Anya's strong enough to knock her whole bed in to a wall."

"Hey! It's not that bad."

"Why? How big are your beds?"

"Yes, it is."

It was amazing how an important conversation could so easily decline into a senseless one. Two senseless ones at that. Afterwards Lucy always would call it a survival technique.

"Survival from getting bored," she'd say, "Important conversations are always boring. It's much more fun to have two or three bizarre ones."

The next day we had one final exam. Astronomy. Nice and comfortably in the afternoon like I said earlier. Joseph went in smug and came out smugger. I know smugger isn't actually a word but no 'Even more' could put to justice the extremely high level of smuggery that Starsy just radiated. We had to hold Gregory back by the end of it we really did. Filing in star charts, naming distant suns and planets. Boring as anything. Somehow being in a tower, in the middle of the night, looking through a telescope, made the whole idea of Astronomy much more interesting. On paper it was just... dull.

"Don't you just love astronomy?" Joseph declared as we came out. "Isn't is great to finally have a subject that is informative, interesting, easy, and above all, fun. Honestly, wasn't that test just such a breeze?"

Lucy and I managed to seize Gregory's arms just as he jumped forward, arms outstretched. We tried to catch him before he got within inches of grabbing Joseph's neck but he was too quick for us. I couldn't decide whether Joseph had no idea what was happening or if he was just ignoring it. I soon found out.

"I mean," Joseph said, turning around. "It is so great that our last exam is an easy one. Come on, Gregory, admit it. It was a synch." Lucy and I tightened our grips. "I am so glad that we had a chance to basically lie back and do nothing before tonight. I mean, it's going to be-"

All three of us tried to stop him from saying what he was going to say. All by putting our hands over his mouth. I was first, probably because Gregory was delayed by our restraint of him, so I got bit.

"Ow!" I cried, cradling my hand. "What did you do that for!"

"You covered my mouth! You wouldn't let me speak! That's not fair you know, I let every one of you speak and you never acknowledge that I might have something interesting to say."

"We know you have something interesting to say," explained Lucy, "That's why we stopped you from saying it. Because it's so interesting that we don't want any one to hear it."

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight!"

"Ooooooh."

I looked around. The rest of the year had wandered down to enjoy the sunshine by now so the chance of anyone important overhearing him was very low. But as we descended the tower I thought I saw something move in the corner. A shadow. I turned my head and just before we were round the corner, out of sight, I saw Jane Jordan step out of her hiding place. She did not look happy.

**A/N:** Action coming! I promise! This is the build up…


	12. Chapter 12

**Operation Scorpion**

Joseph and Gregory crept through the door. Laura and Anya had finally gone to sleep and we'd knocked on the wall. Joseph was still wearing his school robes and his bag in case he needed to carry anything but Gregory had opted for a completely black outfit and a woolly balaclava. I rolled my eyes, Lucy giggled and Joseph shot him dirty looks every so often.

We tiptoed over to the mirror I had gone through.

"Now," said Joseph, "What exactly did you do to get-"

While he was talking I leaned over to Lucy's bedside table and picked up a heavy, hardback book. Putting as much force in to the swing as possible I smashed the mirror with it. I can't remember why I did it. I guess I thought it was a good idea at the time. It felt like the right thing to do. It felt like I _needed_ to do it.

Lucy and Joseph jumped. Gregory looked around edgily to make sure Anya and Laura were still asleep. They were. They could sleep through an air raid.

We picked our way through the broken fragments of class and through to the old corridor on the other side.

"You could have just told me the spell," Joseph muttered.

"Right," I said, business like. "Where to next?"

"Well where did _you_ go?" asked Gregory.

"I don't-" I froze and spun around on the spot without realising it. One minute I was facing one way, the next I was facing the other. My arm moved up of its own accord. "That way."

I started walking towards a door further on. Why, I don't know. It was like the mirror thing. I _needed_ to do it. It was all bigger than me. My pace quickened, then quickened again. Soon Lucy, Joseph and Gregory had to run to keep up with me. I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks.

There was the figure, dressed in black. It turned to look at me. I froze. I couldn't move. My mouth was open in shock and my entire body felt numb. I could barely feel anything. I could just see the creature. Hear the swishing sounds of the cloak touching the floor as it moved towards me. A screech like a thousand screams wrapped up in to one ball. Hearing it as it passes your ear. A cross between a man and your worst nightmare.

You have no idea how terrified I was. _I _have no idea how terrified I was and I was there. It didn't feel like new fear either. It's hard to describe. It felt like centuries of fear all wrapped up and forced upon me. Old instincts coming in to action like 'Fire is bad'. To say I was scared out of my wits would be the understatement of the millennium.

There was that scream again. The child scream. But this time I recognised it, it was my own. A memory of me screaming like I'd never screamed before. When I was just two years old.

As the figure got closer is raised its arm towards me. I felt a huge tug, it seemed as though it was drawing me to it. Was that what the mirror and the corridor thing was about? It started to hiss like a cross between a long, drawn out breath between the teeth and a snake. A snake greeting another snake. It wasn't Parsel tongue. I'd heard Parsel tongue before. This was just a hiss.

I felt a faint pressure on my arms. A slight tug backwards. Nothing near as big as the one drawing me forwards. My foot was already starting to slide forward. As the pressure increased I heard slight voices, just on the edge of hearing. Cries, yelling, my name being called as if I were in a burning building. It was so quiet. Why were they yelling? And why couldn't I hear them? It had to be Lucy, Joseph and Gregory but I couldn't see them. I could barely feel them, let alone hear them. I couldn't sense them. All I saw, all I heard, all I sensed, all there was, was the figure in black. Getting closer.

My breath ripped out under my chest. My fingers began to stretch of their own accord. I was losing control of my arm. It started to move upwards. I tried to stop it and was rewarded with a sharp shooting pain up my arm. I cried out. It echoed.

On the edge of hearing was a faint sobbing. I could almost make out the words.

"Do something! Do something!"

I couldn't move my right arm to stop my left. I couldn't touch it; the thought petrified me. Another spark of pain shot in to my head. I cried out again.

Then, on the edge of seeing, something moved. As if in slow motion a large object flew towards the creature. When it hit a huge amount of pain rushed through every part of my body. I screamed out. It sounded remarkably like the childish scream that had plagued me so much. The creature span round, its cloak flying through the air. A thousand squeaks were heard as a thousand bats filled the air. My left arm thrust it's self up to protect my face as I slowly fell backwards. Something caught my eye before I hit the floor and it all went black. The object that had flown at the horrifying figure. It was a thesaurus.

The first thing I heard was the voices. Young voices, fresh. Faint but familiar, talking.

"It was so scary. We didn't know what to do!"

"What happened?"

"It's hard to describe. Think of your worst nightmare times by ten."

"Oooh."

"Now treble that."

"No wonder Lee fainted."

"That's just the half of it. She was acting really weird before hand. Doing stuff for no reason. Acting like-"

"-Clockwork."

"Exactly."

The black started to fade away and a smudgy white filled my eyes. I could feel a soft bed beneath me. That's always a good sign, I feel. Soft sheets don't usually indicate bad things.

The light faded slightly resulting in fuzzy shapes. Three figures were sitting near me, they were the one's talking. I started to hear other sounds, other conversations. Some voices I recognised, some I didn't.

"I hope Dumbledore isn't angry."

"If that monster in there could do this to Lee, Dumbledore will probably be glad that, thanks to you, he knows about it. Besides, it was Lee that led you there, and he can't punish someone who's unconscious."

"It wasn't all Lee's fault."

"No, it was mine."

"It wasn't yours either."

"I said we should get it. I encouraged her to keep searching for it even after Christmas. It's _my_ fault."

The fuzziness faded leaving colours and shapes. They gently moulded themselves in to the three people sitting nearby. Lucy, Laura and Joseph. My surroundings started to clear themselves up. I was in our room and lying on my bed. Lucy was sitting on my bed near me, Laura on the other side and Joseph was on a nearby chair. Anya and Samuel were sitting on Anya's bed chatting and Gregory and Robert were having a good look around. Gregory seemed to be paying close attention to the size of our beds.

Over by the broken mirror there was a group of teachers. They were talking, carrying things and generally investigating the forgotten corridor. Thankfully, none of them looked especially angry.

"Lee!"

Lucy had seen me turn my head and had finally noticed I was awake. I propped myself up on my pillow and looked around.

"Hey guys."

"You had us worried there for a minute," Joseph told me.

I peered at him. His face was covered in a look of concern whereas everyone else looked relieved to see me up. It told me something I did not want to know. It wasn't over.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You fainted," said Lucy.

"I guessed that," I said. "What else. Starting from the room with the creepy guy."

"Guy? I thought it was more like a monster."

Gregory had come over along with the other Gryffindor first years.

"Definite guy," I said, "with definite creepy factor. So?"

"Well as soon as you turned that corner you just froze to the spot. We were pretty terrified but you just seemed paralysed. Gregory got out his wand and tried every curse he knew on the creepy guy - quite a lot more than any civilised person should know, might I add - but this thing was unmovable. Lucy and I were trying to pull you away. Especially when you started moving towards it. Then Gregory had the idea of blocking its power over you. We tried covering your eyes but it didn't work. So Gregory threw something at it."

"Your thesaurus."

Joseph blushed. "Yes."

"What he was doing taking his thesaurus somewhere like that I have no idea," said Gregory, "But it was good that he did."

"So what happened next?"

"That was when you fainted," Joseph continued, "It was utter confusion in there with the bats and everything. Lucy yelled 'We have to get her out of here!' so we dragged you back in here. We were all prepared to throw more things at it as it came through when the teachers turned up."

I frowned. "Where did the teachers come from?"

"I fetched them," Laura supplied, "After Jane heard you talking about doing something tonight, then she came to see me to warn me. I thought she was just being silly; it's not a secret that you two don't get on. But when I woke up during the night to see you and Lucy not in your beds-"

"-And the mirror broken," Anya supplied.

Laura smiled. "And the mirror broken - I went to see the teachers to tell them something was up. We came back just in time to see you dumped on the floor and Lucy, Joseph and Gregory grabbing as many books as they could. They explained what happened and the teachers started to act all worried. McGonagall went to get Dumbledore and all the other teachers got out their wands and started to investigate that old corridor."

"At which point I think we woke up and noticed you gone," added Robert, "We figured you'd be here, up to something. We were just going to eavesdrop, see who was getting the whoopee cushion treatment this time, 'till we noticed all the teachers."

"So what are the teachers up to?"

"Searching."

"For what?"

Lucy shrugged. "Creepy guy I guess. Or maybe the ring. Hey! If they find the ring, do we get it? I mean we found it."

"I wouldn't trust it with you four if I had half a brain cell," said Samuel, grinning.

"Well we did have this plan involving a Russian hamster, Snape and a forty watt light bulb," I told them dreamily with a wicked smile.

"I do hope you don't intend to follow through with it now."

We all jumped. Snape himself was there, his face poker straight.

"Professor Snape," I said, "Good to see you. Did you find what you were looking for? What _were_ you looking for by the way?"

"Boys, back to your room immediately," said Snape ignoring me. "You're not allowed in the girls rooms. Weasley, Malfoy, Bower and Davies, the Headmaster wants to see you first thing in the morning assuming Miss Davies is fit enough. Davies, you must report to the Hospital wing immediately."

"But I feel fi-"

"NOW Miss Davies. Or it's twenty points from Gryffindor."

"We'll help her," offered Laura.

Snape glared at her. "You do that."

All the Gryffindor first years left the room, Laura and Lucy holding me up. Just as we got outside I held up my hand as a signal to stop them put my finger to my lips to get them to be quiet. There were voices coming from our room.

"We found something, Professor Dumbledore."

There was a sudden scramble for eyeholes. We were standing on top of each other to peer through the thin gap between the door and the wall. Inside the room I saw Professor Dumbledore standing near Professor Delacour. She was holding something. Make that some things; she had the thesaurus in one hand and something else in the other. Snape was moving in and out of my view. He was examining our room.

"Just a ring?" Dumbledore queried.

"And this book," Delacour pointed out. "What a-" she paused to read the cover. "-Oxford Dictionary and thesaurus was doing back there is beyond me."

"Apparently the children threw it at whoever that was in order to save their friend," Snape told them, "I listened to their conversation."

"Earwig," Gregory hissed next to me.

"There's no one back there?"

"I'm afraid not, headmaster."

Dumbledore did not look happy about that. "Oh dear," he said, "But the children are safe?"

"All five of them," said Professor Delacour.

"But I sent Miss Davies to the Hospital wing to be checked out," Snape put in. "Just in case."

_Five_, I thought, _But there's only four of us. Who else could be involved, we were the only one's down there._

The answer came to me immediately. _Laura_.

"What we have here," Dumbledore announced, "Is a copy cat. And a problem."

"Have you told Potter?" Snape asked.

"Both Potters," Dumbledore replied, "And the Weasleys. And Moody and Lupin, the usual gang. They were not happy."

Neither was Snape by the looks of it. "The Weasleys," he said disapprovingly. And Lupin!"

"Of all people, Hermione deserves to know. And it's time you settled your differences with Lupin. How many decades has it been?"

It was Professor McGonagall's voice. I couldn't see her so I assumed she was standing near the entrance to the corridor.

"Have you not told Tiffany Davies?" she asked.

"No," said Dumbledore, "We can't risk her parents hearing about this."

Snape looked shocked. "You don't think the Lazaros are in on this! They weren't the first time."

"I don't know," said Dumbledore gravely, "But I don't want to rule anything out."

I suddenly had a sick feeling in my stomach and felt as weak as a kitten. The idea of my grandparents having anything to do with that... thing in the corridor made me feel ill. Lucy noticed my expression and suggested that we continued to the Hospital wing. At the bottom of the stairs the girls and boys split. Before he went back to his room, Gregory looked me straight in the eye. His stern examination reminded me greatly of the inquisition my grandfather always gave me. Once he seemed satisfied he smiled.

"Goodnight Lio," he said.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Your eyes," he said, "They're pale."

My mouth dropped open then I smiled happily. I turned back to the girls and we headed back to the portrait hole. Anya was looking completely confused.

"Of course they're pale," she said, "Almost see through. That's obvious. Why did he have to say that?"

I glanced at Lucy, she was grinning widely. Then over at Laura, she had a more knowing smile on her lips. Then finally back towards Anya, the only person around here who did not have a clue on what was really going on.

"Never mind," I said, "Inside joke."

**A/N: **This is not the end! One more chapter to go.


	13. Chapter 13

**And so, the end is near, and here is comes, the final curtain.**

Amazingly, that was the best nights sleep I'd had in a long time. When I woke up in the Hospital wing I felt refreshed and ready to do practically anything. I was almost convinced that it was all over and I could go back to my nice, normal life. Then I remembered it wasn't over. There was still the meeting with Dumbledore for one thing. I began to ponder over the thought of telling Dumbledore everything. I was prepared to creep outside while it was still slightly dark and pick a flower to help me decide when the sight of the window caught my eye. I sat bolt upright. The sun was shining brightly. It wasn't early morning, or even late. It was noon. I started to struggle out of bed. Do you know how tight they tuck those sheets around you if you just collapse onto the bed rather than get in properly?

Madam Pomfrey caught me in the act.

"You are not allowed out yet," she told me, "Get back in the bed immediately."

"But I'm late-"

"Your meeting with Dumbledore went on without you. I was instructed to make sure you stay in bed. A girl who faints twice in one night does not get up to go to stressful meetings with head teachers."

"But I only fainted once!" I appealed, "I was just... tired."

I remembered the night before. I had to be practically carried to the Hospital wing. I was asleep before I hit the bed. Luckily I had been in my Pyjamas. Laura and Anya had got suspicious the night before so Lucy and I had changed in to our PJ's and hadn't changed out of them before we went on 'Operation Scorpion'. I'd felt as weak as a Kitten. But I felt stronger then, and was determined that no nurse was going to boss me around.

"Madam Pomfrey," I said, summoning up every bit of Lazaro blood in me and copying my grandmother's commanding voice. "I do not need to be here so I do not intend to stay here. I would like to see someone who can make everything clear and no school nurse is going to stop me. Is that clear?"

An hour later I was still in the Hospital wing and eating lunch. Tomato soup and rolls. As it turned out, a school nurse _could_ stop me. I decided to note that down for future reference.

"Right," said Madam Pomfrey, coming over carrying a robe. "You can go now."

I put my tray down on the table next to me.

"Finally!" I said, "Why couldn't you just let me go earlier?"

"I did not have Professor Dumbledore's permission earlier. Now I do. You are to go straight to your common room and rest. You are hereby banned from the rest of the school building. You will rest until three o'clock when you will report to professor Dumbledore's office. Ask one of your friends for directions if needs be. Any questions?"

"Yeah," I said, "When did Hogwarts become a military base?"

Madam Pomfrey leaned forward. I leaned backwards. It came to such a point that I could see up her nose. Not nice.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, missy."

I gulped. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"That," she said, standing straight and returning to her previous, proper style, "is what Professor Dumbledore is going to tell you, I believe. Now shoo!"

Once I got outside Lucy was waiting for me.

"I'm to help you back to Gryffindor tower if you need it," she told me, "And to make sure you stay there."

"So, basically, you're assigned to guard me."

Lucy considered this. "Basically."

Once back in the common room I was pounced upon by people demanding to know what really happened. The other Gryffindor first years had spread the story but no one was going to believe it unless they heard it straight from me. Robin explained it was because they didn't believe Lucy, Joseph and Gregory were there because their story was too far fetched. Or too boring, I always forget how it worked around there (Not even my house was as weird as Hogwarts...). But they did believe _I_ was there because I'd spent the night - and most of the morning - in the hospital wing. I just said that whatever they'd been told was true. I was starting to feel rather woozy again. Lucy helped me to our room and I just lay on my bed and fell asleep.

"Good luck."

I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes. Joseph had directed me to Professor Dumbledore's office and given me the password. He left me there standing in front of a gargoyle feeling like a bit of a Wally.

"Celebrations," I told the gargoyle.

It turned on the spot revealing a staircase. I stepped on the first stair and waited as it carried me upwards to a door. I knocked on it.

"Come in!"

I twisted the handle and let myself in. Inside was one of the mot amazing rooms I'd ever seen. It was covered in pictures of sleeping old men in dusty robes. There were bookshelves all over the place and on one side a large phoenix was staring at me. On the other side was the raggedy old sorting hat. I gave it a swift glare, remembering the way it tortured me on the first day, before sitting down in the chair opposite Professor Dumbledore. He was still crouched over some paperwork on his desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir," I prompted.

"Ah yes," he said, looking up and taking off his glasses. "Miss Davies. I believe you were too ill to attend our scheduled meeting this morning."

"Not ill," I corrected him. "Just a little tired sir"

"Yes," he said, "Which is strange because from what I heard you got the most sleep last night out of all your friends."

"Sir?"

He peered at me, confused. "Your little gang of friends," he picked up a piece of paper and seemed to read off it. "Master Gregory Weasley, Miss Lucy Malfoy and Master Joseph Bower I believe."

"Well, yes sir, I-"

"And it was you four who went through to the 'forgotten corridor' last night."

I started to panic. "Yes sir we-"

"On 'Operation Scorpion' I believe."

My mind shut down in shock allowing my mouth to fall open. Professor Dumbledore smiled. It was a nice smile, without even a hint of malice.

"Your friends told me everything this morning. There's no need to worry. You're not in trouble."

"No offence, sir," I said, "But then what do you need me here for?"

"Do you not have questions you need answering?"

I gave him a look of complete bewilderment. His eyes drifted away from my own and on to my shoulder. I followed his gaze. Suddenly it hit me.

"Oh!" I cried, "My Snake mark! You don't happen to know how I got that, do you?"

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.

"By contact with the gravity ring of course."

I blinked.

"But I've never been near the gravity ring, it doesn't even exist yet! Well... It does now but it didn't last time I was awake. Well not exactly last time..." I gave him a pathetic look. "It makes sense to me, sir."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"The last time the last Gravity ring was seen was approximately nine years ago."

I did some quick calculating in my head. "When I was two... That's when I got it! When I was two!"

"It's a little known fact," Dumbledore mused, "But there are some things in this world that are so evil they cannot be touched by a witch or wizard pure of heart. The trouble is there are very few people who are pure of heart in this world. Everyone's soul is marked by something, be it as little as jealousy. For true innocence you have to look to the little children. If something like the Gravity ring did come in to contact with someone like this it would leave a particular mark. Individual depending on what sort of item it was. The item it's self would be completely destroyed except for the traces left in the mark left on the person who touched it."

Things started to arrange themselves in my head. I found I had to speak, to do Lucy's talent of stating the obvious, to get it all to line up properly.

"So when I was a little child... when I was two... I must have touched the ring... And it left me with a snake mark... So the last traces of the ring... are in my shoulder..." I trailed off uncertainly. Dumbledore was smiling.

"Does that answer you question?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to say "Yes" but thought against it at the last minute. Instead I said,

"But why would someone let me touch it?" I demanded, "My Grandmother mentioned something about a babysitter with her head smashed open, why didn't whoever did that do that to me? And why would they want to do that to me anyway?"

"They didn't. I believe their intention was to use _Avada Kedavra_, but not on you. They weren't expecting you."

_"But that was back when you lived in a two bedroom in Godric's Hollow. They've closed the place off now. Honestly, two people have accidents and they just shut the place off. Close your mouth dear."_

_"Are they safe?"_

_"Yes, all five of them."_

_"Have you told Potter?"_

_"Both of them."_

"They were after the Potters," I whispered.

I gasped as I realised what I had just said and what it meant.

"Oh my gosh! They're after Laura! You've got to protect her sir! Oh flip, they think _I'm_ Laura."

"He got his timing wrong," said Dumbledore, watching me closely. "He was expecting a screaming one year old and got a toddling two year old. A rather out going one if I'm any judge."

_"You were such a dear then,"_ my grandmother had told me once. _"So sweet and friendly. You'd hold your arm up to anyone."_

I froze and stared at a point just to the left of Dumbledore's ear, not really seeing.

"I held my hand up to him," I said, really to myself but Dumbledore must have heard it. I knew he was old but he wasn't deaf. "And he took it. And I touched the ring."

Dumbledore must have leaned forward again because his voice sounded closer, but I didn't see him move. I saw the figure in black. The man in a sweeping black robe, holding his arm out towards me.

"Laura is safe," said Dumbledore, "As long as he thinks you're her. You're safe, as long as he thinks she's you. We caught the real thing, we can catch the copy cat."

Strangely enough, those words made me feel better. Harry Potter defeated Voldemort when he was just seventeen. Now Harry Potter was an adult, this new guy stood no chance. They'd probably catch him in a week or so. There wasn't really anything to worry about. Besides, he knew nothing about me. How on earth was I supposed to be in danger from a guy who thought I was someone else?

I smiled at Dumbledore.

"Thank you sir," I said, standing up to leave.

Dumbledore smiled back and nodded. Why he nodded, I have no idea. But he nodded all the same. Just as I reached the door and opened it he replied,

"No Miss Davies. Thank _you_."

I turned and stared at him but he was leaning over the desk again doing paperwork. He didn't even look like he'd just said something. I went through the door and let it click shut behind me. Dumbledore was beginning to freak me out.

It would be wishful thinking to say the term ended there. That we just went home and this story ended. There were still a couple of weeks left. I don't remember much of it. Just that the teachers kept giving me odd looks. But that was expected and they were giving Laura odd looks too. Laura herself kept flashing me apologetic smiles. But that's all. The end-of-year feast also passed with no particular eventualities. We decided to hold off any pranks in case it panicked people.

The most vivid thing I remember was on the train home. Gregory, Lucy, Joseph and I were playing exploding snap in our compartment when Laura stuck her head in the door.

"Lione," she said, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

I nodded and stepped outside. Laura slowly closed the door behind me.

"I have to - um - apologise for what you went though-"

"Laura," I interrupted, "Stop. I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. How can you apologise for something that you have no control over. Knowing Gregory, Joseph, Lucy and I, we would have probably gone through there anyway so just... stop."

Laura took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said slowly, "But I still want to give you something. As a sort of thank you for what you're doing for me."

She reached in to her pocket, pulled out a card and handed it to me.

"It's a Quidditch card," she explained, "It lists stats and positions and all kinds of things."

A dark haired figure rolled his eyes at me. I turned his card over and looked at the back. Harry Potter. I looked up at Laura. She was looking embarrassed.

"I hear they can be very valuable if you find the right buyer," she offered.

I pocketed it. "I think I'll keep it."

Laura smiled thankfully and headed back to her compartment at the very back of the train. I went back in to my own compartment just in time to have a pack of cards explode in my face.

Once we arrived at the station and were let off platform 9 and ¾ in twos and threes the second memorable thing happened. As soon as we got of the platform Lucy spotted her parents standing a little way off from the other parents. She ran over to greet them and they were soon joined by Colubra. They departed quickly with only a wave from Lucy and a friendly smile from Colubra. Joseph was attacked by a six year old girl with blond bunches. She was soon introduced as his baby sister Caitlyn and they too disappeared. Gregory located his parents and was the first to actually say goodbye before leaving me. I couldn't see my parents anywhere. But I did spot Laura's. Laura was with them and I saw her point towards me. Her and her father came over.

In a very brief moment of joy I found myself thinking, _I can't believe I'm going to meet Harry Potter! Gregory is going to be sooooo jealous._

He stopped right in front of me. "I know what you're doing for my daughter," he said, "And I just wanted to thank you personally. I know there's nothing I can do to truly thank you but if there's anything-"

"Actually," I said, rummaging through my bag. "There is." I found a pen and pulled my Harry Potter card out of my pocket. I presented them both to Laura's father. "Can I have your autograph?"

Laura's dad stared at me as if I was crazy.

"I could sell it on eBay for millions," I explained.

Harry laughed and signed the card.

"I doubt if you'd find a buyer on eBay," he said, handing it and the pen back to me, "But I'm sure someone will be interested."

"She's not going to sell it, are you, Lee," said Laura, giving me a meaningful glare. "She's going to cherish it. _Forever_."

I smiled. "Forever and ever."

There was the sound of clapping footsteps and I saw my dad approach, running from behind Laura and her father. He stopped and slowed.

"Hello?" he said, curious.

"Hi Dad," I said to him.

He came over to stand by me protectively.

"Harry Potter?" he queried, "Roger Davies. I was-" He paused and gave me a nervous look. "On the Ravenclaw Quidditch team when we were at school. I played against you."

Harry nodded. "I remember."

I looked between the two, then back at Laura. She was smiling calmly at me, she obviously knew more about this than I did. I decided to break the long pause.

"Don't you think we should be going?" I suggested.

My Dad seemed to come back to his senses.

"Of course," he said. He shook Laura's Dad's hand. "Good to see you again Harry."

"You too Roger."

My Dad bent down and picked up my bag. "A pleasure."

So that was my first year at Hogwarts. A strange year for all concerned, but it was still there. But despite everything I stand by what Lucy said. Strangeness is a survival trait. Survival from getting bored.

---

Dumbledore waited till he heard the click of Lione closing the door as she left. He raised his head and appeared to be speaking to the wall opposite

"Do they seem familiar to you?"

"I hope not, sir," said Tonks, appearing from the hidden door she had been hiding behind. "Not if you're comparing them to… to who I think you are. You know what happened then."

Dumbledore appeared to consider this for a while.

"Well, Tonks," he said eventually, "If History _is_ repeating, who would you say is who?"

"I think Remus would be a better judge, sir."

"Come now, Tonks," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "I want to know what you think. Who would be their wormtail, do you think?"

Tonks paused before replying. "The Muggle born Boy."

Dumbledore appeared surprised, "Really, Tonks? That's so unlike you!"

"Sorry, Sir but you didn't let me finish," said Tonks, "The Muggle born boy _or _the Malfoy Girl."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Dear, dear, Tonks," he said, "When will you learn to trust?"

"When people start proving themselves trustworthy, sir."

THE END 

**A/N:** I would like to thank XXRoseDawsonXX, phoenixtear19 and MegTao. Also Silverdove who betaed this.

Don't go away, There will be a sequel very very very soon (probably sooner than this chapter arrived….).

Happy New Year all!


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